


Bloody Evolution of the Planet of the Apes

by VeloCRaptor7571



Category: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), RWBY
Genre: Crossover
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-20
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2018-09-01 00:58:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 94,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8600842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VeloCRaptor7571/pseuds/VeloCRaptor7571
Summary: During a mission on a seemingly uninhabited, Grimm-infested continent, Teams RWBY and JNPR discover an entire colony of intelligent Grimm versions of Apes. As their way of life is now in question, the four Kingdoms of Remnant are pressured into coexisting with these Grimm Apes before they become the dominant species!





	1. Prologue & Chapter 1: Mission Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ownership:  
> RWBY is owned by creator Monty Oum, God rest his soul, and Rooster Teeth Productions  
> Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is owned by 20th Century Fox, Chenrin Entertainment, and TSG Entertainment.
> 
> I, the humble author of this fan-work, own absolutely nothing, gain no profit whatsoever, and wish only to express his writing and love for these fandoms artistically.
> 
> /–\–/–\–/–\–/–\–/–\–/–\–/–\
> 
> Warning: a wild FANFICTION WRITER appeared

Prologue

_Heroes. A symbol of greatness and influence, a character meant to overcome any obstacle. They are loved by all, praised for even their simplest of efforts, and sometimes worshipped by a certain few. Many stories of various heroes have been told, but each of them share a similar premise: saving a village from terror, rescuing a damsel in distress, retrieving a magical artifact, and anything else of such heroic nonsense. However, if there is one thing a hero is best known for, it is arguably this – slaying monsters._

_The monster is the hero’s mortal enemy. They are evil incarnate, eternally hideous, and forever shunned… the sinful opposite of the virtuous hero. Monsters are feared by all common folk, which is what all monsters take advantage of as they are seen as plundering villages and preying upon the innocent. The hero, however, does not fear the monster. That is why heroes slay them, an act of chivalry that restores the people’s faith and confidence._

_Yet… when was there a time when the monster was praised? A time when the monster was accepted and loved by others? Or even a time when the hero was the monster? When was a story told about a hero who did everything only monsters do? A story of a monster in the form of a hero… or a hero in the form of a monster?_

_The answer to these questions: never. Stories like these were never created, and if they were then they are long forgotten… or destroyed. The reason for this is simply control, to keep those who rebel and inquire under check and to keep one under the “safety” of another’s rule. If such stories existed, they would cause the questioning of morality and the eventual collapse of a society.  
_

_There is no such thing as a heroic monster. At least… until now… for this is no mere tale of heroes and monsters. This is the strange, heart wrenching, and evolutionary tale of a girl who wished to slay monsters… until a “monster” changed everything she knew, along with the rest of the world. Society, order, dominance, and all will never be the same again…_

**_Bloody Evolution of the Planet of the Apes_ **

 

Chapter 1: Mission Day

 

Remnant is an interesting and colorful world, but also a very hostile one. Currently, there are four active nations, better known as kingdoms, that are in power – Atlas, Mistral, Vacuo, and Vale. They are the last remaining kingdoms; countless others having fallen over time. Its continents were Sanus, the largest landmass, Anima the land of culture, Solitas, having the coldest climate on Remnant, and Menagerie, the small island-like continent. Remnant’s two dominant species are Humans and the Faunus, a human subspecies that have physical animal features and heightened senses who have originated from Menagerie. Despite slight racial tensions and even a civil war between the two races, they have coexisted for as long as they could remember.

One could say that the best example of their coexistence is that both members can partake in a certain job. Actually, it would be more accurate to address this “job” as a role. A role of a hero… the role of the Huntsman and the Huntress. Composed of both Humans and Faunus, this profession is one of if not the most celebrated, profitable, and adored role in the entirety of Remnant’s culture. Their work includes protecting villages, keeping the peace, and upholding the law. They even inspire the people of future generations to uptake the mantle of the Huntsmen and Huntress.

These men and women are not immediately born to be a professional Huntsman though. Many who want to take up this life are first trained in Huntsman Academies. Training and crafting weapons do not begin until their adolescent years, and students can only take up official missions, within or outside their kingdom, during their young adult years. Each kingdom has at least one academy or more. To even qualify for accepting this difficult role, one should have each of these three factors: a versatile weapon, a durable aura, and a powerful semblance.

A weapon could be bought from any weapons seller or even a blacksmith, or they could be crafted from one’s own hands. A consistent theme with Remnant’s weapons were their transformability, being literal combinations of deadly melee weapons and powerful weapons. Normal swords, regular guns, and others existed of course but many preferred a weapon of their own design.

Aura is a natural ability that all living things could possess. It is the physical manifestation of a person or even an animal’s soul, a spiritual force that links their body, mind, and soul. It can be used to enhance one’s strength, heighten the potential of their jump, or act as a literal shield that can absorb damage from an attack. A high amount of damage can overpower and shatter an aura, but it would heal in time after rest, if given the chance to do so.

Then there was the semblance, a hidden potential within any and all. It is an extension of the aura, and it can only be used once aura is unlocked. The potential and abilities of semblances vary, as they can reflect the personality of the user. For example, one can be easily angered could have a semblance that enhances their strength, stamina, or other aspects. However, all semblances have two common traits. First, the same semblance can be passed down in families, like a hereditary trait. Second, semblances can have an influential effect on physical phenomena, depending on the nature of a semblance and the one who uses it.

Even with these talents, such things cannot always be easily used off the bat. Techniques with their weapons must be developed and full control of their aura and semblance should be perfected. That is the reason the Huntsman academies were founded, to train the huntsman and huntresses of the next generation and prepare for the world ahead. In fact, a certain academy is where this story takes place. Beacon Academy is perhaps the most prestigious academy on Remnant. Sure, there was Shade in Vacuo, Haven in Mistral, and Atlas in… Atlas. Though, it can be argued that neither had given… results, like Beacon has.

Right now, it was the beginning of dawn. The sun began to rise out of the night sky, its light shining over the face of Remnant. The people of Vale were getting up for the day, preparing the plans for today. The faculty and students of Beacon were already starting their daily routines. It was still early before classes began, so the academy’s students had spent time in their rooms alone or with their teammates, or using their time to study before their first class. The teachers were planning their lesson plan for the day and other staff were performing their respective obligations.

Although a few students were still asleep, against their better judgement, much like a young girl sleeping on the top of a bunk bed. She looked rather young to be a college-level student huntress, having a pale, healthy complexion and a youthful face. She had short black hair that was red at the tips, the right side bangs longer than the left. She was sleeping on the top bed of a bunk bed setup. Beacon is a boarding academy as well, containing many dormitories for at least four students to reside in. The rooms don’t come with a pair of bunk beds, however, explaining how the one the sleeping student’s bed is hanging by the ceiling, held by rope… it looked rather unstable.

Who is this girl? Why, she’s Ruby Rose! A weapons fanatic, team leader, and aspiring huntress. She’s also the youngest to ever be accepted in Beacon, at age 15. It hadn’t taken longer for her to wake up. As the sun’s warm light reached her, her senses began to activate and Ruby opened her eyes – bright, silver colored eyes. Yawning, she propped herself up on her elbows, but noticed what exactly she was sleeping on: Paper and books. She slept on own her homework.

Darn, she must have overworked herself last night. Life in Beacon was harder that she expected, with all of the extensive paperwork assigned, and each written assignment had gotten harder after the last. She hopes this doesn’t become a habit anytime soon.

Shrugging it off, Ruby was about to sit up and hop off her bed-

PFWEEEEEEEET!!

“Eeep!” * **SMACK***

Until the sound of a loud whistle went off, surprising her enough to accidentally fall off her bed and hit the ground hard. The funny thing is, her only thought was that it sounded liked her own whistle.

“Ow~” she drawled out.

“See? Told ya it would work.

“I’m not sure if causing her to hit the floor like that counts.”

Upon hearing that, Ruby slowly looked up to see who were speaking and/or who blew exactly the whistle – her own sister… of course. In Beacon, and any other huntsmen academy, all first year students are set up with a partner and then set up in a team with another pair, a team of four, and must work together for the four years they stay at Beacon. Ruby was the leader of her own team, comprised of her fellow first years: Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. Together they form Team RWBY! …which definitely wasn’t a confusing setup at all.

Weiss Schnee is Ruby’s own partner. Her lengthy hair held in a ponytail was as white as snow itself, perhaps whiter, her complexion pale but fair, only slightly marred by a scar crossing the corner of her left eye, and has icy blue eyes. An initially cold and indignant character but in her time with these three, she ‘thawed’ into a caring friend. Blake was the quietest of them, though she wasn’t soft spoken. Her skin was fair but more tan, long hair that was black and styled wavily, and catlike eyes that were an amber yellow color. She chosen to be more antisocial but being with these three, she learned to open up more.

And then there was Yang. Within the whole of team RWBY, she had at least three roles – the heavy hitter of the four, Blake’s partner… and Ruby’s own older half-sister. Yellow hair that shined like gold, a healthy complexion similar to Ruby’s, and light lilac eyes. Though boisterous, overly lighthearted, and even vain in certain occasions, some would say she made the group livelier. She was rather nice and interesting to be acquainted with… as long as her hair was not damaged of course.

Aside from that, the situation with Ruby awaking from her sleep was still at hand. Ruby started to get up, holding her head as she felt some pain from landing on the floor ungracefully. She may have seen something like stars or birds spinning around.

“Morning Rubes! Had a good night’s sleep?” Yang asked in a cheery voice, unaware of Ruby’s plight.

Ruby countered with her own question, asking in a peeved tone, “Yang? Why did you blow my whistle?” she felt it was a little unnecessary to do so, and in the middle of actually waking up no less!

Yang blinked at her younger sister’s statement, then she donned a nervous smile and scratched the back of her head. “Heh, sorry Ruby, you kinda overslept and we needed to get a move on.” she explained with a chuckle.

…Well, at least Yang had a reason to do something drastic.

“Also, it was Weiss’ idea.” Yang added.

 _Huh?_ Ruby turned to Weiss, secretly asking to confirm if she was the one behind this or not.

“It was just a little retribution, nothing more” she said with a smirk. Confirmed it was.

Ruby was surprised to hear Weiss say that. What did she do? “Wha-? I don’t get it–”

Weiss interjected, “Remember our first day of classes? In the morning?”

Ruby blinked. The morning of their first day? What did she… wait a minute…

Then it came to her – the morning of that day, Ruby thought that Weiss wasn’t getting up anytime, she blew her favorite whistle to startle her, which worked (at least, in Ruby’s mind it did)! That’s what Weiss meant!

Wait a minute, did Weiss hold a grudge? For this long? And why didn’t she blow it herself?

“At first, I thought it would be funny so I went with it, but then you hit the floor,” Yang partially explained, bringing Ruby out of her thoughts. “Sorry about that, sis. Seriously though, it’s time to get up.”

“Huh? Why? It’s not time already time for classes, is it?” Ruby asked innocently. She really hoped that she didn’t sleep on classes.

“We’re not attending classes for today, we have to see Ozpin for a mission,” Blake said since Yang’s and Weiss’ explaining of the whistle incident. “Don’t you remember?”

…What? They had a mission today? When was it assigned? Ruby was drawing a blank on all of this information, like it was the first time she heard it, despite her teammates saying otherwise. The only thing she could do to voice her confusion was stare at her friends owlishly, and drawl out “uh~…”

Exasperated, Weiss took it upon herself to jog Ruby’s memories. “Ruby, you dolt! Don’t you have the faintest of realizations? The email from two days ago? Who we’re going on the mission with? You were the most ecstatic about this assignment too!”

Ruby blinked, but decided she should at least try to remember everything Weiss said. Focusing her energy into digging up her memories, hoping to find something. Scrunching her facial expression in focus and frustration, she kept up at looking for memories, her teammates waiting.

Any second now, she’ll find something… any second now… any time soon… any moment– oh wait, there it is!

* * *

Two days earlier, in the campus dining hall. Ruby plopped herself down on a seat next to her teammates, who were already eating their dinner. She rested her head on the table, groaning in exhaustion.

“Rough class?” Yang asked. Ruby grunted sadly in response.

The beginning of the second term for team RWBY started off to be interesting, but later proved its difficulty. The homework and written class assignments were growing in size, figuratively and literally, as each assignment due required more work.

Ruby wasn’t even certain if it was worth it. She’d rather spend more time fighting with her beloved Crescent Rose! Like yesterday, under the highway… fighting a giant war robot… piloted by a notorious criminal…

Well, more sophisticated fights at least.

Indeed, Ruby had participated in a fight outside of Beacon grounds the other day. It wasn’t senselessly going after a criminal for justice’s sake, mind you, and she wasn’t alone in the battle. Much earlier than this, it was revealed that Blake was a Faunus, unknown to her friends, and was formerly part of the White Fang. They were a former pacifist group that protested for Faunus’ civil rights, but soon turned to violence under new leadership.

On her own adventure that Ruby briefly witnessed, Blake discovered the Faunus terrorists were behind multiple robberies of Dust, and were in a secret partnership with the infamous serial criminal Roman Torchwick. A sly, cruel, and silver-tongued man, and an impressive fighter despite focusing his life on criminal activity, Blake couldn’t help but question why the White Fang were working with him since they never allied themselves with humans before.

Seeing that Blake was left with more questions than answers, Ruby enthusiastically suggested that their team should investigate further – and hopefully take down criminals in the process – to which they all agreed. After almost of full day of investigating, and Ruby learning a certain friend’s secret (Penny), the end result was team RWBY squaring off with Torchwick himself piloting a prototype Paladin-290 – a massive mech suit designed by Atlas’ military.

Team RWBY had defeated him and destroyed the Paladin, but the criminal mastermind had ultimately escaped with unexpected help from an unnamed accomplice. In the end, the student huntresses progressed a little, but not very far. The next day, however, Ruby discovered something so shocking, so terrible, and frightening that it couldn’t be true!

…She forgot to turn in a paper for class. She screamed internally after discovering the truth.

It was the one class in her curriculum where she wasn’t with her usual friends. What the class was, it didn’t matter, she was just devastated knowing she missed an assignment. What was worse was that she actually had it completed much earlier; she must have forgotten about it after the fight with Torchwick last night. It was enough that she had to deal with Grimm Studies with Professor Port and Professor Oobleck’s history class!

There was much begging, pouting, and more begging from her to convince the professor to give her a second chance. Thankfully, the professor did give Ruby a chance to submit extra credit, but on these conditions: The essay had to be re-written (it has a rather short word-count anyway), and a shorter paper relating to the same topic, but contrasting with the first paper’s thesis, had to be given along with it.

Now that the class was over, Ruby was able to reach the dining hall and her friends in time. Unfortunately, she was also extremely tired out.

“…Do you wanna to talk about it?” Yang asked, hoping to sympathize with her little sister.

“…I forgot to turn in an essay.” Ruby admitted.

Weiss, having heard what her partner just said, was shocked. “Ruby!” she scolded. “How could you disregard something so important?!” Weiss took her studies very seriously. Sometimes, she hoped her peers would follow her example.

“I-I just forgot, okay?! I was tired out from our fight last night!” Ruby retorted, raising her head up and giving her attention to Weiss.

“Last night? Did you have a big sparring match yesterday?”

…It appears she spoke too soon.

Ruby didn’t notice them at first, having been so exhausted. Turning her head to see who spoke, she saw the team that RWBY was well acquainted with – Team JNPR (juniper), consisting of Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, and Lie Ren.

Jaune is this team’s leader, having earned such a role with his surprising skill in strategizing. Fair skinned, blonde hair, a rather toned physique, and deep blue eyes. He can be described as friendly and thoughtful, though aloof, timid, and poor at… flirting. The last part could be considered a virtue, really. His partner, Pyrrha Nikos, could be considered Jaune’s opposite in skill. A renowned student Huntress trained by Sanctum Academy and have won several tournaments in the past. She even received so much recognition, she starred in a cereal commercial! Her hair is the brightest red one would ever see, styled in a ponytail, and her eyes a bright vivid green. She is kindest that anyone could ever meet, though not many would know that if they were not so modest around her, because of her reputation.

Nora is… well… one of the best words that described her was ludicrous. Short orange hair and vibrant turquoise eyes, she is constantly enthusiastic, imaginative, and very talkative. Nevertheless, she stays a true friend to anyone, always takes the optimistic route, and is even able keep control and think rationally in combat. Finally, there is her partner and closest friend, Lie Ren. His long, messy black hair was also tied into a ponytail, with a single streak of magenta visible, his eyes matching this color pink color. His own personality is the opposite of Nora’s, being much more level-headed than his teammates, perhaps even more so that the members of team RWBY themselves. He even provides words of wisdom on occasion.

This team was almost, in a way, team RWBY’s equivalent. They share common traits with each other, like Ruby and Jaune’s hardships as leaders, Blake and Ren’s preference for peace and quiet, and Yang and Nora’s ability to deal heavy damage. Each of them were first years, fought together in their initiation trial, and spent much time together since.

Well, they didn’t know everything about each other. Like how JNPR didn’t know that RWBY was fighting for their lives last night, hence why Jaune asked what Ruby meant.

“…Uh, not really… we’ll tell you later guys… it’s not really something to say in public,” she answered, the rest of her team agreeing. At least they didn’t keep secretes from each other… not too many.

“Oh? I hope it’s nothing too serious,” said Pyrrha, showing concern for her friends. What had they gotten into?

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing our team can’t handle,” Weiss said with a hint of pride in voice, easing the champion’s worries. “But it’s still a private matter.”

“Yeah…” Ruby agreed, then suddenly she felt her leg vibrate.

“Oooh~, did you break someone’s legs?” Nora asked. If her friends and team didn’t understand the type of person Nora was, they would have questioned why she said that with slight enthusiasm.

“It’s better not to talk about it now, Nora,” said Ren, who understood her the most out of everyone present.

Ruby checked her left pocket to see a message sent to her scroll, a tablet with a holographic touchscreen. The device was very versatile, serving as a cellphone, camera, video streaming, they were even connected to each students’ rocket propelled locker. When she checked who sent her a message, her eyes widened slightly.

Yang took notice of that. “Whatcha got there, Rubes? A secret admirer~?” she asked cheekily with a sly grin.

“It’s from Professor Ozpin,” Ruby answered, catching everyone’s attention.

“Headmaster Ozpin? What is he –” *buzz* Weiss was about to ask, but felt her own scroll buzz. The rest of team RWBY’s and team JNPR’s scrolls followed suit. Each of them received a message from the same academy’s headmaster.

To make things clear, these weren’t personal messages to each of the first year huntsmen and huntresses, and Ozpin usually never did send such things. It was required for the students of Beacon to have the headmaster’s and other teachers’ contacts in their scrolls. This way students could receive news regarding the academy, like mission dates, fieldtrip dates, updates on class schedules, anything of that manner.

The message sent to our protagonists read:

_Team RWBY (JNPR),_

_I hope all of your evenings have been well and have learned something from your classes today. I contacting your team and team JNPR (RWBY) to inform you all of an important date. In two days from now, your teams will participate in joint-team overnight mission outside of Vale. What the mission is and why two teams are required for this mission, I will explain later, but then again, why question going on a mission with your friends from another team? Aside from that, report to my office on the morning of the mission day, before 8AM._

_Best of luck to you all,_

_Ozpin_

Ruby’s energy was starting to build up from excitement. A team mission in two days! No, a joint-team mission! With JNPR!!

“Guys! We got a mission together!!” Ruby shouted in pure excitement.

“I-I know… wow!” Jaune responded in shock from reading the message.

Yang pumped her fist in the air, shouting “Nice!”, excited to have another adventure. Pyrrha was elated to have a mission with her friends, donning a large and kind smile on her face. Weiss smirked, believing this couldn’t be a better opportunity to sharpen her skills, especially in front of team JNPR. Nora was staring in awe at the message with comically wide eyes, and Ren was simply happy to share a mission with another team, giving a small smile. Blake…

She was oddly quiet. In fact, she was quiet during the entire conversation, much more than usual. She would have at least said one thing during the whole time, usually, but not today. What was on her mind? Seeing that Blake was the only one not giving a response, her teammates and JNPR turned to see what exactly she was doing – nothing. Just staring down at the food on her plate, hardly touched. Her eyes were slightly puffy, but still looked well besides staring.

Yang, being the closest to her, attempted to get her attention. “Uh… Blake? You okay?”

Seeing that it got her out of her thoughts, it worked. “H-huh? Sorry, just thinking to myself… what were we talking about?”

Ruby immediately got into Blake’s personal space and explained everything, in her own excited and hyper way, “BlakeweandJNPRgotamissiontogetherintwodaysit’sgoingtobeawesome!!!”

“…uh~…”

“Our team and Jaune’s are scheduled for a joint-team mission in two days.” Weiss explained, knowing that Blake didn’t understand what Ruby said so hastily.

“Oh! Um… that’s nice… I can’t wait?” Blake said haphazardly. Before anything else could be said, the bell rang, signaling the end of dinner.

“Well, I guess that’s all that can be said on the matter then. I hope to see you all then.” Pyrrha noted, starting to get up from her seat.

“Yeah! See you guys tomorrow, too!” Ruby replied.

Both teams were getting ready to leave the dining hall, disposing their food trays, and heading for their respective dorms. . Before she went to sleep, having forgotten about the extra credit work at the moment, Ruby had one more thought about the mission in two days. “ _This is going to be so much fun! And we’ll get to spend time with Jaune’s team! I’ll make sure to not forget about this!”_

* * *

_“I can’t believe I forgot about this!”_

As the flashback had finally ended, Ruby gasped and looked to her teammates in shock. She forgot about the joint-team mission! Dang it! If only she didn’t have to rewrite her paper the past two days, she would have remembered!

“Well? Do you remember now?” Weiss asked, seeing Ruby’s change in expression.

“I do! Oh my gosh I do! Today’s the mission with –!”

*Knock* *knock* “Hello? You girls ready yet?”

Hearing the interruption, Yang went to open the door. It was Jaune, himself and his team behind him ready to head for the mission.

Jaune spoke again, “Hey! …uh, none of you forgot about today, did ya? Heh,” adding a nervous chuckle.

“Oh of course not, vomit boy! Ruby just overslept, that’s all.” Yang explained. Adding the ‘vomit boy’ comment irked Jaune slightly, reminding him of her and Ruby’s embarrassing first impression of him.

Putting that feeling aside though, Jaune focused on the current situation. “Okay, but hurry up! It’s almost 8 o’clock,” he responded.

…

Now that Ruby noticed it, everyone around her were wearing their school uniforms – Jaune and Ren in a black suit, blue vests, white shirts and red ties. The rest of the girls were wearing brown jackets, plaid skirts, black stockings (optional), brown vests, white shirts and red ribbons. She was just in her… pajamas.

Realizing how she had limited time, Ruby immediately pushed Blake, Weiss, and Yang out of the room.

“I GOTTA CHANGE! I’LL BE QUICK! NEED PRIVACY!!”

She slammed the door shut and locked it after explaining her actions brokenly, everyone staring at the door in slight bewilderment.

* * *

Ruby wasn’t lying when she said that she would finish quickly, but she did take enough time for them to leave later then they wanted to. Running as fast as they could in the school’s hallways and between different campus buildings, the two first-year teams rushed to where Ozpin’s office was – the Beacon clock tower. The academy’s signature piece of architecture, the headmaster’s working quarters was located under a unique clockwork system within the tower, visible through the office’s glass ceiling.

Entering the base of the building, teams RWBY and JNPR reached the tower’s elevator, the best way to reach the professor’s office. They entered into the available compartment, Ruby pressed the button leading to the floor where their destination was, and the elevator’s doors closed. The first years checked the elevator’s installed clock, and they sighed in slight relief – 7:51am.

“Heh-heh, we made it! Right guys?” Ruby asked with a giggle as the elevator started going up.

“Hmph! We wouldn’t be arriving at this hour if you didn’t sleep for so long!” Weiss scolded. Reminded of her mistake, the red clad girl looked down to the floor and whimpered quietly. Her partner wasn’t finished speaking though, “and why exactly did you enforce your need of privacy to change? You realize myself, Blake, and especially Yang are of the same gender and we sleep in the same room, right?”

“Huh, I was kinda wonderin’ that myself,” Yang added, realizing that Weiss brought up a good point. She and Ruby were sisters –well, half– and they lived together for the majority of their lives. What made her self-conscious now?

Seeing that everyone was looking at her curiously, the young leader felt uneasy as everyone gazed at her and waited for a response, a single drop of sweat running down her face. After what felt like a full minute, but may have only been a few seconds, she came up with an answer, “Um… heat of the moment? I don’t really say or do anything sensible when I’m under pressure… or overly excited… or anything else like that…”

…

“I can understand that,” said Jaune.

“That is kind of a thing with you,” Yang admitted.

Weiss just rolled her eyes and brought her attention to the elevator door in front of her, waiting for it to open, and everyone else just kept to themselves. Ruby sighed in relief, seeing that the spectacle she made of herself was put aside for good.

After a dinging noise was heard, the elevator’s doors finally opened to reveal their destination. The room was wide and rather spacious for a personal office, large windows that gave a large view of the world beneath them, and a glass ceiling that revealed tower’s inner gear workings. Between the window, there was the back of the tower’s large clock, half of the face visible, and a desk in front of it. Behind the desk, however, was Beacon academy’s most prominent figures: Professor Ozpin, the rather mysterious headmaster of Beacon seated behind his desk, and his assistant, the notorious Professor Glynda Goodwitch standing next to him to his left.

 The aged headmaster was an enigma to his students. Hardly anything was known about him, even though he is an experienced huntsman. However, he has shown himself to be stoic, indifferent, and gave counsel to most who met, though others say to have seen a kind and even humble side of him. Wherever people would see him, he always carried his coffee mug or his custom cane. His tussled hair closely resembles the color of pure silver, though his eyebrows were a contrasting black, and his eyes a thin brown color. His attire persisted of dark pants, black shoes, a matching suit over a buttoned vest and green shirt, and a thick cowl around his neck with a cross like pin on the center. He also wore small dark spectacles.

Goodwitch was the academy’s professor who overlooked the students’ sparring sessions. She was infamous for her harsh but solid criticism and her cold attitude towards any kind of misconduct on campus grounds or anywhere in general. She was basically the stereotype of a high school or college teacher, only more menacing with the riding crop she wielded. Though she never kept this personality up all the time, having shown weariness and even compassion before… she was human after all.

Her eyes consist of a bright green color, her light blonde hair tied in a bun with a lock of curled hair hanging down the right side of her face. She wears a white pleaded top with pleated wrists and keyhole that showed the top of her chest. Her shirt ended at her lower body, where a dark, high-waist pencil skirt with bronze buttons was worn. She wore dark brown stockings and knee high boots with brown heels. She also had a cape, purple inside and black out, with bronze diamond beads sown into it and aligned horizontally. The cape was stylized to end in what seemed like arrows and flames. Finally, she wore teal earrings and a similar teal collar pendant, and clear ovular glasses.

Ozpin was the first to greet them with a small smile on his face, apparently being glad to see them. “Good morning, teams.”

“Morning Professor!” said Ruby in a cheerful tone.

“It is eight minutes before 8am,” Professor Goodwitch stated in a matter-of-fact tone, emanating a hint of disappointment. “It would have been more proper and easier if all of you arrived earlier.”

“Our apologies Professor,” Weiss began, “but our team leader had slept longer then she should have.” The tone of her voice gave a hint of irritation while giving the professors their excuse.

“Eh-heh… Sorry” Ruby apologized, using her hand to rub the back of her head and having a nervous smile.

“…I see,” the combat professor simply acknowledged, blankly staring at them.

“Aside from your delays, I’m glad you all could make it.” Ozpin interjected. Ture, they should have arrived earlier so that he could have more time to explain the mission, but it was nothing he could control. Standing up from his seat, Ozpin plugged a device into a port in his desk, and almost immediately a holographic screen sprouted in the center of the room.

“As you already know, your teams are participating in a joint-team mission. A rare opportunity for each of you,” he reiterated as he was walking closer to the screen, the eight students quietly containing their excitement for the assignment. “However, the reason why two teams are necessary is because of the grand scale of this mission, and I mean that quite figuratively and literally.”

The hunters-in-training had different reactions, slightly gasping at what the headmaster was saying or raising an eyebrow in curiosity, trying to comprehend his meanings. Suddenly, with a flick of Ozpin’s wrist, an image appeared on the large holograph-screen. It was a map of their world, Remnant, clearly presenting the planet’s continents and islands. The students recognized where the kingdoms were located – Vale and Vacuo are established on Sanus, Mistral thrives in Anima, and Atlas operates in Solitas. Ruby and Yang even saw their home of the island Patch, despite its incredibly small scale to the other locations.

Yet, there was one landmass on Remnant that was not occupied by a kingdom. It wasn’t even classified with an official name. In the top left corner of the holograph-screen’s map, west of where Atlas is located, a large island–continent stands out. Judging from the details that portrayed each continent’s environment, the southern half of the landmass has a forest, indicated by green coloration, the center covered in brown, perhaps portraying a field of soil or something similar, while the far north was covered in pure black, representing the land’s unexplored area. The strangest aspect of the land was its shape, which almost perfectly resembled a winged dragon.

“It is here that your mission will take place,” Ozpin instructed, pointing his cane to the mysterious continent.

This continent was unofficially and popularly called the “Land of the Western Dragon,” or simply “West Dragon*,” in contrast to Anima, as a part of it is shaped like a wingless and more serpentine dragon. As such, it is nicknamed “Land of the Eastern Dragon,” or “East Dragon.” The “dragons” of each continent also came to represent something – East Dragon representing safety, culture, and knowledge, while West Dragon represented the opposite: danger and mystery.

There is a simple reason why West Dragon has not been colonized by civilization: the creatures of Grimm. The continent is known to have one of in not the largest populations of all Grimm kind. This was known without actually setting foot there, because many attempts by settlers and explorers were foiled by the soulless beasts, all of them having never returned from their voyage and ultimately hindering the kingdoms from expanding there. No recordings of their escapades have never been found. The Land of the Western Dragon has been left as a place of mystery to this day.

The creatures of Grimm were the closest to being the dominant species on Remnant, beasts that were soulless, fear and hatred incarnate. They are as dark as a person’s shadow, ageless, and they crave the flesh of mankind. They’re skin and fur is as black as night, and bone spikes and armor protruded from their bodies. The Grimm have lived their eternal lives for the only purpose of consuming humans and Faunus, and destroying their creations. There are thousands to millions of them, and multiple types like the feral Beowolf, the brutal Ursa, hideous Creeps, and many more that were known or yet to be discovered.

They have plagued the word of Remnant, since the beginning of mankind’s upbringing. They have sought their utter destruction, raiding villages and slaughtering thousands. Some have even been powerful enough to kill off elite Huntsman. The survival of humanity and the like was evident and essential, and that was what these students were here for. They entered Beacon to train, reach their physical peak, master their skill, develop their semblances, and slay the Grimm! They aim to be huntsmen and huntresses of the next generation, to give their aid in the war against the darkness.

This was what the hunters were praised and admired for, protecting the masses from the clutches of the Grimm. It was the obvious setup of heroes versus monsters: The Huntsmen and Huntresses were the heroes of Remnant… and the Grimm were the monsters. That was how it was and always had been.

“The ‘West Dragon’ continent?” Weiss donned a look skepticism, something she was infamous for, after hearing her mission’s location. “Pardon my questioning Professors, but wouldn’t this place be more suitable in a mission for upperclassmen or a high ranking huntsman or huntress? There is a massive Grimm-infestation there, correct?”

“That may no longer be a problem, Ms. Schnee,” answered Professor Goodwitch, which slightly shocked the eight students. “We, the council of Vale, and the other leaders of the world have been monitoring the continent for a long time now and, strangely, we noticed that the infestation had been dwindling, slowly but surely.” As she explained, Goodwitch pushed her glasses up with two fingers.

“Oh, and in relation to upperclassmen and high ranked hunters,” she continued. “I’m afraid that neither were available for taking this mission. A rather inconvenient coincidence of timing. In fact, because of this timing, though I don’t if this will please any of you or not, you eight will not have a supervising huntsman for the mission.”

Now that was a surprise. As freshman, it was mandatory to be accompanied by a huntsman of senior ranking on their missions until their sophomore year. But with the knowledge that they have not been given no such supervision for this mission, would it be safe for them to even participate in it? That was what the students were thinking. “Professors, doesn’t it seem unwise to send us, who are freshman, to an untamed continent without proper supervision?” Ren questioned.

“Well, even with the accounting of the lowering number of Grimm, I have considered the chances of other dangers, which are actually low, surprisingly.” Ozpin explained. “However, another problematic aspect of the mission is the time needed to complete it, which is rather short. None of our staff or hunters we’re in contact with could not find an open space in their schedule for this mission. So yes, the unconventionality of this mission could be considered unwise but at the same time, it is considered a legal mission with the low risk of hazards and the urgency of its completion.”

The students looked to each other in question, perhaps looking for another opinion from each other, but the all decided to trust in the mission’s terms. “… So… the Grimm are no longer present in ‘West Dragon?’” Pyrrha asked, returning to the subject of the Grimm, and still surprised by the information.

“Yes and no, I’m afraid,” spoke Ozpin. “Over the time myself and others monitored the continent, the Grimm had become more widespread over the land, and later became scarce.” To emphasize this, the holograph-screen zoomed onto West Dragon and depicted red dots, representing the Grimm, spreading out on the land and many of the dots blinked out as Ozpin explained. “However, we found what may be a large gathering of Grimm in one specific location of the continent.” The holograph-screen then depicted the red dots clustering into a massive blood red dot, pinpointed between the green and black coloration of the land met, leaning more to the green.

The students gazed at the holograph-screen’s imagery. Never have they seen such an organization of the Grimm by that scale. Yes, they fought large hordes of Grimm, but this appeared to be greater number then they have faced. The eeriest part was that the map did not show to scale or indicate a specific number, so they didn’t know how large this horde could be.

“Woah…” Ruby exclaimed.

“Dang… didn’t know these guys could make such a huge party,” Yang noted. “Hey Professors, just out of curiosity, how long has this been happenin’? A month?”

“Much longer than that, actually,” the headmaster answered.

“Um, two months?” she asked again.

“Longer,” he deadpanned.

“Three? Four? C’mon, gimme a hint–”

“This strange behavior has occurred only in ‘West Dragon’ over the past ten years, Ms. Xiao Long,” Glynda interrupted with the correct, and shocking, answer.

The past ten years? What was so interesting for the Grimm to stay in the exact spot, and slightly regrow in number, for about ten years? The Grimm were a tenacious species, usually stopping at nothing to consume their prey and many of them are fiercely territorial. Even so, it was known that the Grimm do not stay in one place. They may stay longer due to increases of negativity in the area but they would always move to find somewhere with more prominence in negative activity. It’s what they truly fed off of.

“…Oh…” the answer quickly made Yang at a loss for words.

“The past ten years? What is possibly so interesting for the Grimm to congregate there for that long?” Weiss asked, disbelievingly.

“We’re not sure Ms. Schnee, but despite this gathering of the Grimm in ‘West Dragon,’ I believe that the threat of Grimm is low because they do not cover the entire continent anymore. The mission your teams are assigned is to explore the continent, a mere search operation. If you do not go too far into its forests, I’m certain that you will be at a safe distance from the Grimm.” He assured, despite adding the passive warning.

The revelation of their mission’s objective underwhelmed the students, slightly. An exploration mission? In a land formerly inhabited by the Grimm, no less? Despite the implication that they might not experience too much adventure, it was still a mission, and the young hunters accepted. At least they still have the chance to socialize.

“A search operation? For what, exactly?” asked Jaune.

“Dust.” Ozpin answered, “Now that the continent has seemingly become safer, ‘West Dragon’ can now be explored and surveyed so that future settlements can be established there, but with great caution of course. There is also the chance to discover new sources of unmined dust. Your objective is to discover as many dust mines possible, map out their locations on the continent, and report your discoveries to me once you return.”

The students looked to each other, as if briefly and quietly debating their own opinions on the mission. Again, with the supposed lacking of Grimm and the simplicity of the assignment, they might not experience much adventure with this mission. Still, Dust is a very important part of the society of Remnant.

The crystalline material has many properties and uses, such as being the main fuel source for vehicles, powering up buildings, and enhancing weapons or one’s own physical abilities. Dust has many elemental variants like fire or air and, most importantly, it is the backbone of humanity’s survival and war against the Grimm. Since they had an opportunity to attain even more Dust, teams RWBY and JNPR were more than willing to take this mission.

Then again… there is an industry that is much more associated with such work…

“Professors,” spoke Blake, the first thing she said since entering the headmaster’s office, “I don’t want to put the logic of this mission into question, but wouldn’t the Schnee Dust Company be more adept for this operation? Dust-mining is their specialty.” She said the last part with a hint of cynicism. Weiss looked to Blake in surprise for bringing up her family’s company, having brought up such a good point but also because she still thought ill of her company.

The Schnee Dust Company, since it was overseen by its current chairman had become notorious for taking itself into a moral grey area. In summary, the Schnee Dust Company is Remnant’s most powerful distributor of Dust, and Weiss is its heiress. The SDC had a stronghold over the market for Dust, supplying everything to shops to selling the material, or take over stores and sell it themselves. The current chairman, her father Jacques Schnee, who preferred to be addressed by his family’s personal title of lordship, Herr Schnee**, was considered the worst leader of the SDC in history.

He had plunged the company into an unethical state, being involved in shady experiments with the almighty Atlas military, hiring criminals and bounty hunters for certain jobs, and, the cruelest of all, the company’s Faunus employees have been subjected to unfair working conditions which still worsen gradually. The company’s recent and growing mistreatment of her kind had earned all of Blake’s ire. Weiss hadn’t understood this fact at first, having felt disdain towards the species thanks to the White Fang. Thankfully, she had learned better from an experience that was new to her; the experience of having a Faunus as a teammate and friend.

“Ah yes, the Schnee Dust Company,” Ozpin began, but he hesitated before speaking again, “…it’s feels rather odd to say this, but the SDC’s chairman himself took part in organizing this mission.”

The moment he revealed the chairman’s involvement, the students gawked with open mouths and wide eyes. Well, most of them; Blake narrowed her eyes in suspicion, Pyrrha raised her right eyebrow inquisitively, and Ren was the only one keeping a neutral, save for his eyes widening only slightly.

The one who definitely took this harder than everyone else was Weiss, the second daughter to the chairman and his heir. Her greatest, and secret, reason for attending Beacon was to distance herself from her father and the company’s shady practices. Now, it seems that her father is deeper involved with her life than she thought.

“M-my… my father set this up?!” she exclaimed. The headmaster nodded his head positively to her, but she felt the need to further inquire, “Why?!”

Ozpin took a moment before answering. “…Herr Scnhee has been most diligent in monitoring ‘West Dragon,’ hoping to find an opportunity for his company.” As he explained the holo-screen changed its image entirely, swapping the map of ‘West Dragon’ with the logo of the Schnee Dust company, which heavily resembled a snowflake, as if it was corresponding with what Ozpin was saying. “His reasons for not doing this himself are… convoluted, to put it in simpler terms, but I am sure he is merely being cautious.”

“Or rather, he is attempting to excuse himself from a ridiculous case of indolence.” Glynda spoke in a distasteful tone. Apparently, she did not approve of the SDC chairman’s choice of not investigating West Dragon himself.

“Glynda…” Ozpin cautioned, only getting a scoff from his aide. Putting her response aside, he turned his attention back to the students, who had looks of uncertainty and uneasiness.

“Please understand,” the headmaster continued, acknowledging their doubts. “This mission is not entirely his doing. He had proposed this mission to me, but it would not have gone through if I had decided against it. And the only absolute benefit he will get from this is that I will share your mission reports with him, so he can organize his work force for mining there. I have faith in each of you to complete this mission without much harm. If I didn’t, this meeting wouldn’t even happen.”

Given that West Dragon is a long distance from Vale’s own continent overseas, and there is still a strange and large gathering of the Grimm there but he always has faith in his students. He has witnessed all of the students’ combat skills during their initiations, especially teams RWBY and JNPR. The students still sported their qualms towards this, but they showed some appreciation for their headmaster’s faith in them.

Weiss mentally judged whether she should protest or not. Her father basically had no regards for his children, considering herself and her sister more like property. Heck, he even placed her in a match against a giant, living suit of armor – which was claimed to be controlled by a “Possession-type” Grimm known as a Geist – to prove to him that she should go to Beacon! Now, he was trying to take advantage of her title as heiress during her time in Beacon. The nerve!

…Then again, all he did was just bring this to Ozpin’s attention recently… and the headmaster still had control over this mission. It all just felt too… traitorous. He promised not to involve himself in her studies since she proved to him that she was dead-set on attending Beacon, so why was he going back on his own word? Was the company that much more important to him than his own daughter?

Deciding her pondering was pointless, Weiss put aside her inner turmoil for the time being. “…Oh, alright.” She accepted the mission begrudgingly.

“Well… at least it’s an official mission, right guys?” Ruby hopefully asked her teammates, though she herself was unsure of that. Weiss merely huffed, Yang shrugged her shoulders, and Blake just blinked at her leader with a deadpan stare. The members of JNPR could only give similar responses.

“It is as official as it can be,” Glynda answered. “Now then, the mission is going to be long, up to three days, counting today.” The students groaned. They had to search a continent for raw Dust, for three whole days? This started to sound more boring by the second…

“Do not complain,” she sternly warned. “Once your three days are completed and you return, you all will report your findings to Professor Ozpin and myself. Return to your dorms, attain your weapons, don your combat gear, and pack the necessary supplies for staying out in the wild. Once you have prepared yourselves, move to the landing platforms at the Cliffside immediately, a Bullhead will be waiting for you. You are all dismissed.”

The students looked at each other one last time before they turned to leave. Once they entered the elevator and disappeared from the Professors’ sight, Glynda released a sigh and decided to speak what was on her mind. “I still think he’s being selfish about this.”

“Glynda…” Ozpin started to converse with her. “I know he is only reserving his resources out of his personal preference but I am sure that he does not want to lose his daughter.”

“The man proposed that Weiss take this mission on by herself.” She retorted, “even if the Grimm population in ‘West Dragon’ has diminished to a simple gathering there, it is still very much a high-risk mission!”

“True, but Mr. Schnee does not know of her team’s strength, and had made that suggestion because of his doubt in team RWBY. The same could be said for JNPR.” The headmaster explained. Ozpin returned to his chair behind the desk and unplugged the flash drive, deactivating the holograph-screen. “I however, as I said earlier, have faith in our students.”

He ended the argument on the Schnee patriarch’s moral by taking a sip of coffee from his ever-present mug. Glynda stared at him owlishly before speaking again, “Was it wise?”

“Hmm?”

“Was it wise not telling the students everything?” she clarified. “We didn’t explain how we exactly monitored ‘West Dragon’ and we didn’t assign them a supervisor for the mission, though I’m surprised that the students did not ask for such, and we didn’t tell them… what else we found.”

“…” Ozpin was silent when she brought that up. While the SDC’s chairman found the dust, the headmaster himself discovered something strange. He couldn’t tell if the reports contained false information and he wasn’t sure if the digital images were a glitch. Yet, whenever he reviewed the images and reports again, he can’t help but question the meaning behind it. Because of his insecurity with this, the only one he trusted this information with was Glynda. Having been reminded about it, he activated the desk’s personal holograph-screen, acting as a computer, and with his finger touched a file on the screen, opening its contents.

“…Perhaps it was… or it was not…” he answered slowly. “…whatever this is, maybe those eight can shed some light on it… if they happen to find it.” As he stared at the files mysterious content, Glynda walked to see the it as well. When she first saw it she was disbelieving and still is, but she couldn’t deny that the report existed for a reason.

What they discovered… was aura. Through their anonymous method of monitoring of West Dragon, the professors could detect aura, meaning that there were possibly people in the wild continent. The aura was indicated by a large white circle. However, this finding was peculiar and frightening. It was peculiar for its large size and frightened them because it was the same size as the indication of the Grimm gathering… and they shared the same location on the continent…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note, 11/19/16:
> 
> Oh boy, where do I start. So… hello world! I am a young man who aspires to be a great artist, and writing happens to be, what I consider, an art. Probably one of my best areas of art. Then, I came upon reading fanfiction from this and other websites. After a couple years or so, I decided to start writing up my own work! … Which took me this whole year… to write one chapter… for a rather unconventional fanfic… man, I’m slow.
> 
> The Reason I went with this idea, which is honestly one of my favorite ideas (not surprised no one came up with it first though), is because my fanfics are kind of artistic experiments where I make characters face certain themes that can change their lives, negatively or positively. This fanfic in experimenting with how the certain teachings of a society are changed by the revelation of new information and what could happen to the society afterwards. I delve into what represents what in the future.
> 
> Here’s a couple of things about this chapter:
> 
> *Thought I’d use the unnamed continent for the setting and give it a minor background. Might cause some confliction, if the name is at all revealed or if it is where Salem is hiding in Volume 4 (I personally don’t think she is, but I could be wrong)
> 
> **I know very well that no German words exist in Remnant’s language, but I’m using this because I like the sound of “Herr Schnee,” it kind of has a ring to it.
> 
> Anyway, that’s all I got. Chapter 2 might be posted soon, I dunno. If you can or if you want, leave a review, whether it is a compliment or positive criticism. No hate will be tolerated. Laters!


	2. A Grimm Discovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ownership:
> 
> RWBY is owned by creator Monty Oum, God rest his soul, and Rooster Teeth Productions  
> Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is owned by 20th Century Fox, Chenrin Entertainment, and TSG Entertainment.
> 
> I, the humble author of this fan-work, own absolutely nothing, gain no profit whatsoever, and wish only to express his writing and love for these fandoms artistically.
> 
> /-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\
> 
> This chapter might be a little controversial, based on how the apes are portrayed… you'll see.

Chapter 2: A Grimm Discovery

  

In hindsight, perhaps the students should not have met with Ozpin while wearing their formal school apparel. It would have been less appropriate, but it would have been more time efficient to already have their casual combat gear on. They could have had their weapons on them too. Alas, they went down the laborious route. So as fast as they could, Ruby being the fastest, the members of teams RWBY and JNPR gathered their weapons, packed their overnight supplies, and adorned their favored clothes for missions.

It is without need to be said that what they wore reflected themselves:

Ruby wore a black blouse and large skirt, the cuffs of the sleeves, the underside of her skirt, and her neck collar ending in a red trimming. Holding the skirt and blouse in place was a black clincher, held together with red lacing, and below that was a loosely hanging gray belt. The belt had a magazine pouch and a gray colored version of the her emblem, a stylized rose, attached on her right side, and sown in loops holding individual bullets on her left side. She wore full black stockings and large boots that ended halfway at her calves, tied with red laces and red trimming. Her most obvious feature was the red cape she wore, pinned to her shirt by two crosses. Ruby had her weapon Crescent Rose attached to her back in storage form. It is a massive red scythe and, at the same time, a high caliber near-precise sniper rifle.

Weiss wears a bolero jacket, pale blue in color and a barely darker blue at her sleeves, and is red on the inside. She was dressed in a similarly colored dress and skirt, with black lacing making up the top of her dress. Tied around her waist is a white ribbon, and a light colored bag in the back of her dress. Her boots were wedge-heeled, the same pale to light blue color and red inside, reaching to her calves as well. On the back of her jacket was her emblem, closely resembling a snowflake. She has her weapon held on her hip, a sharp rapier named Myrtenaster, with a revolving chamber installed in the hilt, designed to carry Dust cartridges.

Blake had one of the darker colored attires of the group. Despite white shorts and a white crop top, she had a black buttoned vest with coattails, exposing her midriff. On her shorts were decorative zippers on each leg. Under her shorts, she wore black stockings that transitioned to a purple color around her ankles and she wore low heeled shoes. Her emblem was sown into her stockings on each outer side of her upper thigh, which likely resembled the coincidentally named belladonna flower. Black ribbons were tied around both of her forearms, a detached sleeve held by a silver band only on her left arm. On her back was metal plate, magnetized to hold her weapon Gambol Shroud in place. It is a versatile weapon, a sword combined with a pistol. Her sheath was sharpened and could be used as a second sword, and with a black ribbon she could use Gambol Shroud as a weaponized projectile, like a kusarigama. Around her neck is a small black scarf. Her most noticeable feature was the black bow tied on top of her head, hiding her partially secret feline ears.

Yang was the more… revealing, of the students. She wore a tan vest, outlined in gold, over a low-cut yellow crop top with her emblem one the left side of the shirt, resembling a flaming heart. Her vest has short puffy sleeves that ended in black cuffs. She wore black fingerless gloves attached to her weapon, Ember Celica, currently in bracelet form. Over her black short shorts, she wore a brown buckled belt that held a banner-like clothing piece with her emblem sown into it, a pouch attached on her left side, and a long white, asymmetrical piece resembling a skirt. She wears a large orange scarf around her neck. She wears brown leather platform boots, orange socks that were brought up at different heights, and a grayish purple bandanna tied around her left leg, over the sock but under the shoe.

Jaune made himself look like a makeshift knight. He wears a simple short sleeved hoodie, light blue jeans, and black sneakers that were white at the toe of each shoe. Two belts of differing brown colors were wrapped around his waist and a detached, reddish orange sleeve on each arm. His armor consisted of a large white chest plate and white shoulder guards that have a rerebrace. He had brown gloves, the fingertips exposed, that each had a small metal plate attached to them. He had his family sword Corcea Mors sheathed in his compactable shield, attached to the side of his hip.

Nora's top was a complicated piece. It was a black collared vest that reached to the back of her waist, her emblem of a hammer with a lightning bolt on the back of it, a white sleeveless top with an small open heart shape over her chest, and two indescribable pieces of clothing that were red and blue respectively. The combined shirts and jacket seemed to be held by silver brace like armor that surrounded her neck and abdomen. She wears a pink skirt that ended mid-thigh and pink and white shoes. She has detached white sleeves worn on her arms and pink fingerless gloves. She was holding her weapon Magnhild, a war hammer and grenade launcher combination, currently in its ladder form and inactive.

Pyrrha has the most defined and detailed armored attire of the group. Her top consists of two layers, the first layer being a light brown piece with button like embroidered on the side and the second later a low bronze colored V-neck, all held together by black lace in the back. She wears a very short brown miniskirt and a red drapery reaching her ankles, held together by a thin brown bell with pouches attached to it over her rear. On the right side of her hip she has a circular bronze plate with her emblem engraved to it, a spear crossed over a shield. Her legs are sealed in elaborate bronze greaves, her upper thigh only slightly exposed, and wears brown, high heeled boots. She wears a detailed bronze goreget neck piece and a circlet headpiece of the same material. She has brown detached sleeves that serves as gloves, leaving her shoulders exposed. On her left arm, she wears a bronze armband above the sleeve, and a bracer strung together by lace on her forearm, over the sleeve. She has her weapon stored on her back, named Miló, a versatile tool that takes three forms: A javelin, a rifle, and a sword. Strapped over Miló is her shield, Akoúo.

Last but not least, there is Lie Ren. He wears a long sleeved green tailcoat, with pink cuffs, buttoned diagonally by small gold bowties, and has thick black trimming that is outlined by thin gold trimming. His collar is made up of the black and gold. The cuffs reaches halfway down his forearms, while black sleeves (whether they are detached or not being unknown) cover up to his wrists. He wears simple white pants and black shoes. Attached to the back of his waist are his weapons Storm Flower, two semi-automatic machine-gun pistols, with curved blades protruding from each of them, just under the barrel of the guns.

The way these students presented themselves was rather colorful, figuratively and literally. Now that they had what they needed, the hunters-in-training quickly set out for the landing platforms, expecting to see the bullhead that will be their transport.

Now that the teams realized it, why were they using a bullhead? They were fast but they were not used for traveling over continents, because they lacked enough fuel for such distances. The aircraft's transport room was also cramped for eight people. They could have used an airship but their great size would make the trip much slower, or an air bus, which was slower than a bullhead but more efficient than an airship. Seeing this particular bullhead however… may have given them an idea why they're using it.

The typical bullhead is streamlined in shape and its armor is significantly strong. The vehicle is best known for its rotatable jet engines, one placed at the end of its primary wings. Said engines could support the vehicle when hovering, ascending, descending, and the vehicle could position the engines into making a sharp turn. The vehicle in front of the students, however, was very different. Sleeker, longer, less protruding armor, and the engines too seemed to have a slimmer design that differed from the original. The tail of the vehicle sported conventional stabilizer fins that were smaller than a regular bullhead's stabilizer. If the students saw the vehicle from the top, they would have noted that the wings formed a V-shape. It seemed to be a stealthier variant of a bullhead.

Why teams RWBY and JNPR are taking this, which was basically a high-grade vehicle, possibly used by the Atlas military, they had no idea. Aside from that, they stared at the aircraft in awe. Unsure of themselves if they were getting this, they approached the weaponized bullhead until the pilots, who happened to be standing next to the vehicle, noticed them. "You the kids heading for 'West Dragon?'" the first one asked.

"Yeah! We're teams RWBY and JNPR." Ruby answered for her friends.

"Took y'all long enough," the second pilot stated abruptly. "Hop in. The ride's gonna be long, almost three hours, and I'd like to get going. Then again, we might get there faster with this beauty." He clicked a button on his belt, the doors to the transportation quarters opening and the glass cockpit popping up. The pilots moved to enter the cockpit.

"Wait a minute!" Weiss interrupted them, gaining the two men's attention. "Why are we taking this? This is obviously a military grade stealth vehicle!"

"Your father requested you'd be taken in this aircraft, Ms. Schnee." The first pilot explained, addressing the heiress in a surprisingly formal manner. "And you're correct, this happens to be the prototype 'seeker variant' bullhead. General Ironwood got word of this mission and Herr Schnee happened to owe him a favor. I guess you could say it's like killing two birds with one stone." He chuckled at the end.

Weiss only responded by glaring at him for a moment, then stormed off to board the seeker bullhead. The rest of the students followed suit. The vehicle seemed to have the same width as the original bullhead, but the length seemed to make it roomier for the students and their luggage. Once the teams were aboard, the doors closed and they almost immediately felt the vehicle take off.

* * *

_Two hours, nineteen minutes later._

* * *

The ride had gone smoothly at this point. Well, the hunters-in-training could not see much because the transportation quarters had no windows, only having ceiling lights for visibility, and there was the occasional shaking from turbulence. Now with how much time has passed, it seemed that they could reach their destination at any moment. At least, that's what they hoped.

The best the students could do to pass the time was having conversations with each other, no matter which team they were on. Blake, on the other hand, chose to read her books on the ride. She brought them in case she had any leisure time during the mission. She would add her own comments when she felt to do so, or answer a question or two. Strangely though, it seemed that she had slight fatigue in her eyes, more than before.

Yet, there was someone abnormally quiet during the two-hour ride – Weiss. All she had been doing was observing and polishing her sword, Myrtenaster. Her back had been turned to everyone else and she occasionally swung her sword in the air once or twice. When she did, they were rather forceful swings.

At this point, Ruby felt it was necessary to inquire what was wrong. Stepping closer to her ice hearted partner, she asked cautiously, "Weiss? BFF? Is everything okay?"

Weiss turned her full attention to her and her brow was furrowed. "What did you call me?" she asked.

"BFF. You know, best friends forever? Or best female friend–"

"Don't call me that."

"…oh…" Obviously, her attempts were rejected. Weiss turned back to attending her sword, causing Ruby to pout dejectedly. Seeing the failing interaction, Yang approached the two.

"You don't need to be rude Ice Queen, what's the matter?"

"Don't call me that either," she replied without looking at them. Yang turned to Ruby with her eyebrow raised, secretly judging whether they should continue with this. The latter gave her a concerned look.

"Weiss," Ruby addressed the heiress once more. "…is this about your dad?"

No answer.

"Your dad?" the brawler questioned. "Is it that big of a deal that he set this gig up?"

"My father broke a promise to me by merely organizing this mission." Making her conflictions known to the half-sisters, Weiss turned to them with an icy glare. "If you have experienced what I feel right now, you'd know it's a 'big deal.'"

If that didn't make them understand and just leave her alone, Weiss wouldn't know what else to say. Thankfully they understood, if their shocked expressions actually meant anything.

"…You wanna talk about it?"

Weiss only scoffed at Yang's innocent question and turned to her sword again. Frustrated that everything had gone downhill, Ruby elbowed Yang in the gut for apparently making things worse. "Ow! Hey!" her sister exclaimed.

"You're not helping!"

"What am I supposed to say?!"

At this point, everyone present in the room stopped what they were doing to look at their friends' fiasco. Even Blake paused her reading to observe this. She thought it was ironic really, remembering that Weiss herself made her promise to tell their team whatever troubled her. Perhaps she should practice what she preaches.

"Weiss, look…" Yang started to reconcile. "I get that you're having daddy issues. Our dad isn't perfect either. But Ozpin said it himself that he gave this thing the green light, not your dad. Can you at least enjoy the fact we have a mission with our friends? Heck, let's make it more interesting! How 'bout a… uh…"

Taking a moment to think, Yang held her chin in her right hand. Ruby looked at her sister curiously, unsure of what she was going to say. Even Weiss looked at the blond brawler with a half-lidded stare, waiting for a suggestion. Everyone else present was staring intently at them. Suddenly, a wide grin came across Yang's face.

"…How about a bet?" she finally offered. Weiss raised an eyebrow at the mention of it.

Ruby gasped. "Yang! Dad said not to gamble our money while we're away! Or at all!"

"Oh c'mon Rubes, let a girl have fun!" She dismissively exclaimed. Their father, Taiyang Xiao Long, was a loving parent but very overprotective. He told them not to follow strangers, not to waste their good money, and not to do… more adult things. If anything, Yang lived to break the rules, even her father's. "Dad should lighten up, y'know."

"But–"

"Also, I don't mean that kind of betting. Hear me out, we're going to a new country, right?"

"A continent where multiple exploration missions have failed." Weiss corrected. She turned her full attention to Yang and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Okay, a nearly unexplored continent, whatever. Back to my idea, what if there's something there that no one has seen before? Like a new type of fruit, or a new creature of Grimm, or–"

"Or an ancient city abandoned by a forgotten civilization! Or alien ruins!" Jaune excitedly added. The moment he finished his outburst, everyone looked at him surprised. Nervous under their gaze, his sudden confidence died down. "…o-or just new fruit, heh."

"…Or what Jaune said. We could be just like scientists, or whatever!" Yang continued, "So here's the challenge – whoever finds something on 'West Dragon,' something that has never gotten any kind of recognition… losers have to do something for the winner!"

…

The strangest thing about this was that Weiss was actually considering this. After Yang explained the bet's guidelines, she brought her own hand to her chin, narrowed her eyes and hummed in concentration, not particularly looking anywhere. Before she could give a response, Pyrrha spoke up.

"Why don't we make this more interesting?" she asked with a smirk. "If one of us finds a new discovery, then their whole team wins and the losing team has to treat the winners."

"Huh. I like that idea, P." Yang admitted.

"Thank you, but…" the Spartan heroine turned to Jaune, her team leader, with a slight tint of red oh her face. "I hope it's okay with you, Jaune."

He was flabbergasted that his partner was asking for his consent. "H-huh?! W-w-why're you asking me?!"

This time she was shocked, widening her eyes and realizing her mistake. "Y-you're our team leader, of course! I-I mean… I don't want to make decisions for the team without your consent…"

"O-oh, uh… o-of course! I-I like the idea, Pyrrha, a-and I agree with it." Upon hearing his stuttering approval, Pyrrha looked away bashfully, the red tint having grown. To many, it was obvious that this famous warrior, who won several tournaments for Sanctum, held this lowly knight-to-be close to her in a certain way. However, said knight wasn't very observant. He hardly noticed to her chagrin.

Putting the awkward moment aside, Jaune looked towards Ren and Nora. "Do you guys wanna join in on this? I wouldn't force you."

"Of course we're doin' this! It'll be a blast!" Nora happily answered and Ren gave a small smile as his response. Suddenly, Nora gasped and hastily turned to her childhood friend. "What if this place has Pancake-Plants?!"

… Pancake what?

Ren sighed, seeming to have gone through this act before. "Nora, I told you that no matter where we go, there isn't a place with plants that grow pancakes."

"My dreams of pancake farms and sloth sanctuaries will be reality one day, Renny! HIYAA!" She ended her ludicrous vows by excitedly pumping her fist in the air, her war hammer in hand. Almost everyone laughed at her antics.

"What do you say, lil' sis? You're not against it because it's a bet, are ya?" Yang asked her own team leader.

"Well, after hearing this out… of course I wanna do this, silly! It'll be fun to find new things! … as long as we're not betting with money, okay?" Ruby wanted to make sure that this was a clean challenge.

"Yup. Wallets sealed. What about you Blake?" Yang and Ruby turned to their quiet teammate. Seeing them, she sighed.

"I guess I'd rather not be left out of it. Sure, I'll take part." That just left… Weiss.

Since she was the only one who has not made an answer, everyone looked to her in anticipation. While they waited though, the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company pondered this competition.

 _'…Anyone can get recognition and money for a new discovery…'_ she thought. ' _This… is… perfect! If I find something so completely mind-boggling, or something that can even change the history of Remnant, I could become a legend! No one will judge me for my family reputation… they'll see me as a queen! A goddess! With this opportunity, I can finally claim what's mine and set the company on the path of righteousness! He-he-heh, watch out father, I just might take this company sooner than you expected!'_

"Weiss? What do you say?"

Brought out of her sinister musings, Weiss saw everyone was looking at her, as if they were waiting for something. Of course, they were waiting for an answer. Making her decision, Weiss donned a grin that slightly displayed some cockiness.

"I will gladly accept this bet." She proclaimed.

Ruby cheered and Yang smiled triumphantly, their attempts to hearten the ice hearted girl were a success.

"So… What is the award for winning the bet?" Pyrrha asked.

"Oh! Well… um…" Yang didn't really think that far. Honestly, they might actually get some sort of recognition award for making discoveries, but that didn't count for this bet.

"How about… dinner paid by the losing team?" Ruby suggested.

Yang waived her hand objectively. "Nah, it should be more interesting than that."

"What if the losing team buys school supplies for both teams, for next year?" Ren offered. Nora however, looking at him incredulously, seemed to disagree.

"Ren~! That's boring!" She complained.

"Disinterest in supply shopping does not matter. Our academics are important in our growth as –"

"Blah blah blah!" she interrupted childishly, which caused Ren to sigh.

"I got something!" Jaune propositioned. "What if the losing team… has to make a wish come true for the entirety of the winning team?!"

"That's definitely creative…" Yang considered, then suddenly snapped her fingers. "I got it! How 'bout we do all three?"

"Ooh~, I like that!" Ruby agreed.

Hearing the final suggestion, Weiss' eyes widened. "That… could cost a lot of lien," she realized.

"Better than nothing," Blake admitted.

Feeling that this was the best award, Ruby called for a vote. "All in favor?"

""Aye!"" the majority claimed.

"Ugh, fine," Weiss concurred. She wasn't excited about possibly spending a great sum of lien for these awards.

Ruby pumped her fists. "Awesome!"

Despite the head of the Schnee Dust Company having started this mission, in attempt to put Weiss' status of heiress into use, the students felt that they could actually gain something from this. Figuratively and literally of course. Before any more could be said on the matter, the voice of the first pilot came through the intercom.

_"Alright ladies and gents, we've arrived at our destination"_

"Hmph, it's about time." Weiss chastised the timing of the flight.

"Alright! Time to kick some Grimm butt! … Or whatever's left of them there." Yang exclaimed, before realizing the continent's diminished Grimm population.

Feeling the vehicle cease flying and the thump from landing, the students knew they were here. The doors opened, revealing the view of the land before them. They landed on a beach, the sand being a dull light brown color, ending at a line of tall, thick trees. The Students stared in awe at the trees' great heights, being much taller than the trees of Emerald Forest or Forever Falls. The weather was grey and cloudy, and signs of a fog were evident. As all of the students exited the vehicle's transport room, jumping out of it and easily landing on the ground, one of the pilots entered the room, using the door connecting it to the cockpit.

"Alright, listen up y'all," he called out to them. "You better remember what I'm gonna say now cause I'm saying it once. Today's the first day of your three-day mission. The vehicle for your return trip will arrive at this spot at four o'clock in the afternoon. We don't know if we'll be the pilots to pick ya up, so… nice knowin' ya, I guess."

His half-attempt at making a well-meaning goodbye irked a few of the students, but it didn't really matter. If he did not care about them or his job, then that was his problem.

"Bye!" Ruby exuberantly waved. The pilot reentered the cockpit, the doors to the transport quarters closing shut. The seeker bullhead revved its engines before taking off, flying into the cloudy distance. The members of RWBY and JNPR turned to the forest, their weapons ready and their nerves steeled. "You guys ready?" the read hooded girl asked her peers.

"Yup!" Yang responded, Blake and Weiss nodding in agreement.

"We're ready when you are." Jaune replied, his team also nodding in agreement.

Ruby smiled. Perhaps this mission was going to be fun. "Alright! Our objective is to find Dust and new, possibly cool things! Mission… start!"

* * *

"I can't believe we couldn't find anything~!"

To be fair, Ruby could have expected to not find anything at first. It was the first day of the mission. Unfortunately, the bet had made her more excited for it. With her high expectations underwhelmed, she lamented over the day's empty results. Yet this was not an excuse for Ruby to not feel disappointed.

She wasn't the only feeling this way. None of them found anything. Not a single member of the two student teams made a discovery. Even the high–energy Nora would have found something at this point but she had not. They didn't even find a single Dust deposit. They all saw nothing but trees for miles, which seemed to grow bigger the farther they went into the forest.

When they first entered the forest, they searched the area as a whole unit, but it did not get them far. They had separated into their own teams to make to vary the search, but nothing was found. Then they had gone with their own partners, but even this strategy yielded nothing. Eventually, the day had gone by and it was close to late evening. They gathered at the spot they were situated at currently, a campfire between them and their tents set up for the night.

"Well, it was only the first day. Perhaps tomorrow will yield better results?" Pyrrha asked hopefully.

"… Yeah, I guess so…" Ruby answered.

* * *

"We still didn't find anything!"

Yet again, their efforts were for naught. They did what they had done yesterday, separating with their partners to expand the search. The weather was not good either, raining almost the entire day. A few of them had claimed to have defeated a creature of Grimm but they were young and inexperienced, barely providing a good fight. The types were common too, like boarbatusks and beowolves, in contrast to their competition.

There was no Dust to be found still. Not a single sign of a shard or even an empty Dust mine. It was too strange for the students to believe it. What was going on, they wondered, why was the land so empty. Perhaps a past group of explorers actually found something, and took everything away from the island. … No, that wouldn't be the case. If it was, then it could have been public knowledge and none of them would be here now.

Ruby was once again disheartened by the day's results. She really wanted to find something. Not for the bet or to earn fame, but just for fun really. Heck, she even wanted to fight a Grimm or two. It's not too much to ask for, being a huntress and all. Alas, there was nothing. Weiss was angered by the lack of progression. There was nothing in sight! How can she uplift her reputation at this point now, when there isn't anything but trees in this forsaken continent? Nothing but trees! Trees for miles! None of this was worth spending piles of lien for the bet's rewards!

Blake hadn't made her own opinions obvious, having kept a stoic face for most of the mission. However, out of all of them, Yang noticed that behind the quiet bookworm's mask were hints of fatigue, the condition seeming to have increased. Speaking of the brawler… she started to think that this was a mistake. A bet in which whoever makes a new discovery wins? It seemed to be a great idea at the time, having successfully gotten Weiss out of her former glumly state (how it worked, Yang was not sure). But there was almost nothing in this place, not even the Dust they were supposed to look for.

Team JNPR had fared no better. Jaune was utterly confused with how this land was so barren, save for its trees. His hopes of winning the bet had shrunk. If he had won, Jaune would have used his wish to get a date with his crush… Weiss herself. Weiss had constantly rejected his attempts to date her before, so of course he thought if he won, a date would be foolproof (if only he could see what was in front of him). However, West Dragon's emptiness had reduced his chances.

Pyrrha herself was disheartened by the lack of the country's resources. The whole idea of this bet actually sounded fun, and it could have been a great bonding time with Ren, Nora, the whole of team RWBY, and… Jaune. Yet the country's emptiness had hindered all of her hopes. Ren, on the other hand, had a more indifferent reaction than the others. It was like he had prepared himself for this outcome. Perhaps that's one perk that came from living with Nora, predicting what every endeavor's results will be. Speaking of whom…

"I know, right?! This is so boring~~!"

That summed up how she felt about the mission.

"How is it that we haven't found anything in this blasted place?!" Weiss demanded.

"Maybe we haven't looked in the right places…?" Yang surmised questionably, only to be shot down by the heiress.

"The right places? This whole continent is fog, dirt, and trees! Where else are we supposed to look?!"

"…Under the rocks?" Ruby suggested meekly.

"UGH!" Weiss only responded with an indignant shout and throwing her arms in the air. She proceeded to cross her arms and turned her glare to the campfire currently alight.

"…This doesn't make any sense…" Pyrrha began. "Why haven't we found anything of an unfamiliar nature? I mean, 'West Dragon' is a large continent, but nothing should be so spaced out like this. Could everything be well hidden without us knowing it?" That was a good question. Maybe everything was camouflaged in some sort of natural way, but none of them were sure.

Jaune did his best to answer. "Well… it's still a big place. Maybe we're in some sort of dead zone?"

"What I don't understand is how the country is seemingly void of Dust." Ren remarked. "There should have been something here."

Yang was taking this all into thought before speaking up. "Well, the mission's not over yet. We still got plenty of time tomorrow to find something!"

"Until four pm, when the bullhead arrives," Blake reminded her.

"Yeah but still, plenty of time! I'm sure if we search far enough, we'll at least grab some Dust for the mission." Her words at least uplifted the others slightly. "Heck, we still might find something cool for our bet!"

" **Euewwwwwwwl** ~…"

"…Well, speak of the devil…"

The students were startled upon hearing the strange, high-pitched sound. Each of them stood up, staring at the direction of the call, while some who were more vigilant, like Blake and Pyrrha, kept a hand over their weapon, ready to fight if necessary.

"W-what was that?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know…" Jaune answered.

"Whatever it is, we should prepare to face it." Pyrrha proclaimed.

Each of them entered a fighting stance, holding their weapons at the ready. Whatever it was, it was coming towards them. In fact, "it" sounded like it was coming in numbers, if the trampling of hundreds of feet had meant anything. The same cry could be heard from more than one creature.

"Guys… it's getting closer…" Ruby was getting anxious.

"Just keep it together, Rubes! We can take it!" Yang advised.

The trampling kept up, the thud of heavy feet on the earth coming closer and getting louder. The bodies of the unknown assailants could be heard brushing against the leaves and twigs of bushes. The high-pitched call could be heard over and over, each time out of synch with others and having a different pitch – there was definitely more than one. However, over the time that they were getting closer, the trampling seemed to slow down and the noise starting to soften.

Ruby had picked up on that. "What the…? Are they slowing down?"

"Focus, Ruby! They're still coming towards us!" Weiss snapped.

Ruby quickly concurred, returning to keeping up her defense. The students kept waiting for whatever was coming, but as they were getting closer, the stomping still grew softer. Ruby was right, they were slowing down but why? Were they trying to trick them? Regardless, they still kept their guard up. Whatever they faced, whether it be Grimm or something else, the students were ready to prove they are not to be trifled with.

The assailants were almost upon them. Their shadowy shapes could be seen through the trees, the light from the fire helping the visibility, but only slightly. Slowly, they crept towards the students. They were here. The figures exited the forest, revealing themselves to be –

"Elk?"

…

Exactly what Ruby said.

Indeed, they were merely elk. A whole herd in fact, consisting of many young calves, females with their offspring or by themselves, and large bulls with impressive antlers. Their tan, reddish–brown fur visible in the dim light from the fire. They appeared to be tired as well, many of the animals panting. Perhaps they were in a stampede, and had now tired themselves out.

Teams RWBY and JNPR, though slightly surprised, lowered their guard and sighed in relief. The elk had come to a stop, many of them standing around the students while some chose to lie down in rest. They must have been truly exhausted to not even notice the eight youths they surrounded.

"Well, that's a lot of elk." Yang commented, Ruby nodding in agreement.

Jaune turned his head, left and right, looking at the animals around him. "I didn't think that a bunch of elk would be here." He questioned.

"Elk aren't a widespread species, but they do live in forests like this one." Blake informed.

"Huh… that's cool…" Ruby hadn't known much about animals, usually giving her attention to those with cute appearances, like dogs – specifically her and Yang's corgi Zwei. Before she knew it, one of the females was approaching her, sniffing her scent as it came closer. The noise of its huffs surprised Ruby for a moment, making her step back. The elk paused in reaction to Ruby's, but took a step closer, to observe the girl in front of it. Ruby too was curious of the animal, awaiting its next action.

The next action the elk took – it began licking the girl lightly, as if it was actually curious of her taste. "H-he-he-hey! stop that! That tickles~! He-he-he-ha-hah~!" Ruby tried to stop it, but couldn't resist the ticklish feeling of the elk's tongue. Everyone looked at the spectacle in utter stupor.

"…Why is an elk licking my baby sister?" Was all Yang managed to say.

"That's… a new one…" Blake answered, the informative girl failing to give a straight answer.

Pyrrha hummed in thought. "Perhaps these elk have not seen a human before?" She surmised.

"What? How could these guys never see a human before? Or even a Faunus, for that matter?" Jaune questioned.

"Some regions of the world have not been fully explored, like 'West Dragon.'" She answered.

"Perhaps none of the settlers before us had come this far to stumble upon the elk." Her words were truly thought provoking. If the settlers hadn't managed to come this far, then they did. The question was, how were they unable to make this progress.

The elk didn't hold any sort of hint to the answer. Like the elk that approached Ruby, the others were moving towards them. Some elk were merely observing them, while the others were smelling them or even going as far as licking them, like the first elk. The students either welcomed or rejected it.

"If these things think they can lay their slobbery tongues on me, they have another thing coming." An aggravated Weiss declared, keeping an eye on any elk that were mere inches away from her. She did not want any of them to wet her clothes with saliva.

"Oh lighten up Weiss! This is kinda fun. It really does tickle, he-he-he!" Said Yang, feeling the full tickling-sensation of the animals' curious tongues.

"Yeah, they're just being friendly!" Ruby concurred. _"I wonder if these guys would make good pets,"_ she thought while petting the snout of the elk who approached her. Suddenly, when the animal turned its head to the left, she saw a long mark on its upper shoulder. Ruby wasn't able to make sure of what it was but, eyeing it more closely, she almost instantly recognized it.

"Hey, guys… look at this." She got their attention, each of them turning from the elks that approached them. Ruby turned her elk to make the mark more visible.

"A scar?" Jaune noted. It was long, narrow, and pale, the hair on it matching the complexion that contrasted with the animal's natural color. It must have been old, the flesh looking healthy despite the scar.

"Ooh~, that's nasty." Yang noted as well.

"Wait, why is this important?" Weiss questioned. "Don't these animals fight with their antlers? So wouldn't something like this happen often for them?"

"They do." Blake confirmed. "The bulls fight for territory or mates, ramming and clashing their antlers with each other. Maybe this female was injured from a past duel?"

"That's not the case." Pyrrha claimed almost instantly, gaining everyone's confused attention. She walked over to where Ruby and the elk was, then ran her hand gently across the scarred skin. The elk didn't seem to mind. "An elk's main form of attack is to charge, yes? So a protrusion from the antler could make a perfect stab wound. But this…" she turned to everyone else, her expression serious. "…This was caused by something sharp and flat, like a blade."

Everyone's eyes widened upon the champion's statement. "From the look of this scar, it seems that something had flown by while making contact with skin. I would guess that a spear was the culprit, having narrowly missed its target but was able to leave a mark."

"A… a spear…" Weiss was almost unable to understand the implications of this.

Jaune was astonished by how Pyrrha deduced the cause. "P-Pyrrha… how did you–"

"I have received multiple wounds like this in my training." She clarified. "Though, none of them had ever left a mark like this one."

For a moment, Blake felt she had been dumb for not recognizing the type of wound. She had experience with such things, in her time with the White Fang.

"Hold on," said Yang, starting to make a connection. "If this elk got that from a spear… does that mean there's people here?"

"Preposterous." Weiss abruptly claimed. "There can't be any form of a populace here. We've covered so much of the area, there weren't even any signs of people!"

"There could be people in hiding and covering their tracks." Blake suggested.

"Even so, there should have been some clues!" Weiss rebuked.

"Well, here's some more evidence." Ren stated. Everyone turned their attention to him. In front of him were other elk with scars, some shorter or longer. However, a greater difference was that these scars were, in a sense, fresh. They had healed over, but their color was a bright red and had a glassy appearance from the sealed wounds. Even worse, some had stab wounds. These were not made from any kind of antler though, as they appeared wider and more narrow then the shape of an antler's protrusions.

"Woah! Those are gnarly!" Nora exclaimed.

"T-this can't be… m-maybe we're overthinking this… maybe this is all just from the elk's dueling…" Weiss tried to rationalize their situation. Apparently, she could not accept the possibility of people living and hunting on the continent.

"G-g-guys…" Jaune stuttered. "Y-you might wanna see this…"

Now their attention on Jaune, he was pointing to one of the elk. At first glance, it was merely an average bull elk, with an exceptional display of antlers. However, looking a little more closely, one can see something entangled on its right hind leg. It was brown, rope like, and had a stone tied onto each end of the rope.

"Are those… bolas?" Ruby managed to identify the object.

"They are." Ren confirmed. "We're not alone."

The revelation of people on this continent was truly shocking. Nothing like this was confirmed to the public, as the earlier settlers and explorers had never colonized West Dragon because they were almost instantly attacked by the Grimm. Could they have survived the multiple Grimm hordes? Could they have lived on the continent in secrecy? Such questions and many more were going through the minds of these young hunters at the moment. However, out all of them, only Yang made at least one of her thoughts clear to them.

"So… who wins the bet?"

That very statement instantly turned the significance of their situation upside down.

Confused, Jaune looked to the brawler and asked, "What?"

"We just found something new, right?" She clarified.

"Everyone knows about elk, you brute." Weiss criticized.

"No, I mean whoever hunted these elk. We just found evidence of a person here, or even a group of people!" Yang further explained.

Pyrrha scrunched her brow in thought. "Yang, this isn't solid evidence–"

"I'd say I win."

Yang's abrupt declaration of apparent victory caused Jaune's jaw to drop to the floor, figuratively. There was no way that he was letting her go that easily. "W-What?! No way, WE totally got this!"

"I guessed right that there were people here!" Yang defended.

"Pyrrha figured out what made those scars!" Jaune rebuked. His defense mentioning Pyrrha caused her to blush. "We totally won!"

"Oh yeah? Say that again, I _deer_ you!"

…

Yang's awful pun caused everyone to look at her strangely, despite her attempts to emphasize the joke with a knowing grin. Jaune could only raise his eyebrow and gawk, Blake and Weiss were disapproving, Pyrrha's eyes went wide at Yang's attempted humor, Ren's eyes were also wide but not as much as Pyrrha's, and Nora was poorly holding in her laughter. Apparently she was the only one who thought it was funny.

Ruby covered her face with her hand in embarrassment. If she was going to be honest, she's surprised that a pun regarding the elk hadn't come sooner, knowing her pun-happy sister.

"Really, Yang?"

"…*sigh*, I try."

Even the elk found her wordplay was in poor taste… well, maybe. Eventually the herd started to move again, heading for another place on the continent. Whether they were going to find food or to find another place to rest, teams RWBY and JNPR would not know.

"Bye bye~!" Nora called out to them, waiving her hand. At least one of the animals looked in her direction, but only for a moment and kept moving forward.

As the elk left, Ruby addressed her sister about the bet. "Yang, I think the bet's still on. I know you like winning and all, but… that wasn't thought out to well… eh-heh." She chuckled nervously at the end, hoping Yang wouldn't be offended.

The brawler looked at her sister for a moment before sighing in defeat. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I was a bit hasty."

"A bit?" Jaune muttered questionably.

"Hey, don't worry!" Ruby reassured positively. "We still have tomorrow to complete our objectives!"

* * *

Their progress hasn't increased. Well, the day wasn't over yet, but it was nearing their time for departure. They were still nowhere near finding Dust or making a new discovery. They came across tree after tree and dirt after dirt. The stress of possibly failing their mission and nullifying their bet was hovering over them. Yet they would not give up. They were determined to locate a Dust deposit. They wanted to win the bet, whatever their intentions were or whatever they wanted for winning the bet. They were going to achieve the mission.

The thing was though, they would find something. It wouldn't be just Dust either, they each would come upon one, single discovery. A discovery that would change the very face of Remnant, revoking what was forgotten and throwing everything into chaos…

* * *

Searching through the forest, Ruby and Weiss kept going. They didn't know what to really look for at this point, whether it be Dust or not.

Ruby turned up rocks and stones to look under them, though Weiss restrained from doing the same, fearing for the cleanliness of her clothes. She searched through bushes, though Weiss refrained from that too, hoping not too scratch herself on a twig or thorn. Ruby even climbed up one of the gigantic trees, using her semblance to quickly reach the top. Weiss…

"Do you see anything?!"

In summary, she wasn't completely much help at the moment.

"No! Just trees! … and more trees… and more… maybe a mountain–?"

"Ugh! This is pointless!"

Hearing the heiress' abrupt distress, Ruby sped down the tree and moved towards her partner. With a concerned expression, she tried her best to understand.

"What's pointless?"

"Everything! This mission! This continent! THAT STUPID GAMBLE YOUR SISTER STARTED!"

The screeching sound of her complaints surprised a flock of birds, flying up into the air from their perches. Ruby took a moment to see them fly off, herself surprised by them, before turning her attention back to Weiss. "Weiss, don't be like that. We still have some time left. We're going to find something, I know it!" She hoped her cheery tone will uplift Weiss's mood.

"Hmph, that's reassuring." Weiss sarcastically rebuked.

"Weiss!"

"… What are we going to find here, Ruby? There's obviously no Dust here for miles, and there's definitely nothing for us to discover. This is just a barren forest! I question why the Grimm would even be here!"

"Well… we still have to find something! We can't give up!"

"You're just naïve to the end, aren't you?"

Weiss's demeanor further disturbed Ruby. Before she could say anything more, the heiress turned her back on her, deciding that the conversation had come to a moot point. However, taking a moment to collect her thoughts, Ruby had one more thing to say on the matter.

"Weiss, people are counting on us. Blake, Yang, and everyone in JNPR want us to succeed, and we want them to succeed to. I want them to. Ozpin and even Professor Goodwitch want us to achieve something in this mission. And… I think your dad is expecting you to do good also."

…

Weiss gave no response. Ruby could only sigh to counter the silence.

"… I'm going to keep searching." She informed. "I'll come back to you if I find something."

Her lack of response only confirmed that she wasn't coming along. Ruby turned around, and speedily climbed another tree. She would do so again and again, unable to see anything of value.

Though Ruby did not see nor hear it, Weiss had given her leader a response. It was in the form of a pained, angered expression, and a single thought.

_"You don't even know half of what he expects from me…"_

* * *

Jaune and Pyrrha weren't faring much better. The trouble with their search, though, wasn't any lack of effort from one of them but that they were simply unlucky in finding anything. For the past few hours and the last two days, they could find nothing for the mission or the bet. It felt like they were on the short end of the search. No matter how diligent they were, they turned up with nothing.

Pyrrha watched Jaune modestly, as he searched through the bushes. Seeing her leader would sometimes make her feel complicated. She would always be happy to see him, occasionally be worried for him, or she would even be amused by his unsubtle antics. She thought he was cute.

"Oh! Hey there, little buddy–"

*Chomp*

"Augh! Pain!"

Like just now, when he found a squirrel in the bush.

One would ask what she ever saw in him and her answer would simply be, along the lines of this, "because he saw her for who she was, not for her reputation." Jaune was one of the first who treated her so casually. The others were friendly too, but she felt something more profound with Jaune. Sometimes, she felt that many of the students she conversed with at Beacon were slightly shy around her, or few were trying to befriend her because of her status. She even thought that Weiss had tried to exploit herself as her friend. Sadly, it was an entirely one-sided affair for her, Jaune only acting as a friend or as the team leader around her. Then again, Pyrrha was thankful to have the current connection they had with each other. As of now, she couldn't be happier.

They went on with their searching, Jaune tending to the slight, throbbing pain in his hand and Pyrrha keeping her flustered thoughts to herself.

* * *

Yang and Blake were searching with little success as well. "Geeze, you'd think that we'd find something by now." The brawler mentioned offhandedly.

Blake did not reply. Though she wasn't expecting an answer, Yang thought that it would have been nice if she said something.

During the day, Blake had kept quiet for the whole time. Yang wasn't sure of the reason, but it seemed that the quiet bookworm was deep in thought or she was actually staring off into space. Yang was hoping that it wasn't the latter but, she had an idea that it was. Over the whole two to three days of the mission, Blake seemed to have a worsening fatigue. She had bags under eyes that were darkening over time and her hair was starting to frizzle, loose strands and even split ends were evident.

Yang was concerned. She knew Blake was the reserved type, but even people like that had to keep their health in check. She didn't know why her partner was in such a condition, and she didn't know why she was letting herself go like that. That's what scared her, not knowing. She didn't know the cause, what was affecting Blake. She didn't even know what to do or how to help. The only thing she could do was… wait for Blake to open up… and she knew that couldn't happen any time soon.

Right now, all Yang could do was continue with the search. She was about push through a bush, until she heard the secretive Faunus spoke for the first time.

"We're not going to find anything."

Surprised, Yang turned to her. "What?"

"We're not finding anything. The only thing that inhabits this continent are the trees and animals, and there isn't a single sign of Dust here."

"Well, maybe we haven't searched far enough–"

"Don't use that excuse." Her sudden abruptness surprised Yang further. "There's nothing here. This whole mission has been a waste of all our time."

"Hey, don't get all 'Blakey' on me now." Yang rebuked. "There's like, a lot more area to be covered and we still got time before we have to go."

"And you think we'll just find something in that time?"

"Yeah! …Maybe… probably… I dunno."

Blake sighed in displeasure. "You want to know what's the worst part about this?" Yang gave a questioning look as a response, waiting for an answer. "We're lost."

"…Wait, what?"

Yang looked around to take in her surroundings… and Blake was right. The trees were positioned differently than Yang remembered, and some were thicker than the last. Some appeared to even have moss covering them, a trait she hadn't noticed before. The fog seemed to have thickened as well, making visibility slightly more difficult. Wherever they were now, they were certainly deeper in the forest.

"…Crap…"

* * *

Ruby couldn't remember how many trees she climbed at this point. Each tree she scaled was the same, with the only difference being their varying heights. And no matter where she looked from the top of the trees, all she could see were more trees. She couldn't remember why she was doing this anymore either. What was the benefit of climbing these trees? Was it an instinct to search from the sky, like an eagle eyeing the earth for prey?

Ruby hadn't thought of such doubtful questions before. She usually gone a more optimistic route in situations because it was easy. Perhaps that reflected her naivety and childishness. Was Weiss right? Was this mission pointless? Today's endeavors had proven fruitless, the same as the last two days. It was truly disheartening for the young girl. She did not want to fail one of her first missions and she didn't want their bet to be pointless either.

With a defeated and disheartened sigh, Ruby was going to climb down the tree she was on… until she spotted something. With whatever was left of her interest peaked, she glanced at what she saw. In the fog, she would see several silhouetted shapes but over time she could tell that they were the outlines of the trees. However, what she saw now were several different shapes. She was able to make the height of the shapes and, though varying, seemed to overshadow the trees' height. They were solid shapes, streamlined with straight edges, and the top ended in a sharpened tip like that of a weapon's. If Ruby were to guess, these shapes reminded her of…

Of Dust crystals… but that couldn't be. Ruby knew that raw Dust came in various small sizes and were found in mines. These couldn't be… If what she was thinking was fact, then could these actually be…?

Before she could finish her thoughts, Ruby saw light shining from the sky. The sun had started to break through the clouds slightly, its rays shinning onto the forest. The fog started to clear, as if it was moving itself away from where the light touched. Coincidentally, the light was starting to shine on the mysterious shapes as well. Miraculously though, once the light hit shapes, something emitted from them that Ruby could never have expected: color. The massive shapes were emitting various colors in the sunlight, like a rainbow was being released from each towering shape, once the light touched them.

Dust emitted certain or multiple colors when under UV light… these shapes were emitting colors in the sunlight… then this could only mean–!

Ruby's eyes were practically the size of dinner plates from realization, believing to have finally found something.

"WEISS!" Ruby immediately called out for her partner, jumping off the tree and landing on the ground, an impressive feat from such a height thanks to the use of aura. Using her semblance, she ran through the forest, maneuvering past each tree.

"WEISS! I THINK I FOUND SOMETHING!" She called out again. Before she knew it, she saw a white shape in the vastness of green. It was Weiss! Ruby skidded to stop, just inches from ramming into the heiress. Surprised, she looked to the red caped girl in confusion.

"Ruby? Were you just calling for me–?"

"WeissIjustfoundthemostawesomethinginthehistoryofawesomethings~~~!" Ruby excitedly declared in her infamous hyperactivity.

"What? Slow down! I can't hear what you're saying–!"

"There'snotimewehavetogotherenowandIthinkIfoundDust!"

"Are you even speaking in basic–?!" Ruby grabbed the heiress's hand. "GAH–!" And sped off.

Wherever they were going, Weiss wouldn't know. All she could think about was holding on for dear life while Ruby was using her semblance. Just what had gotten into this girl?

* * *

Ren looked around, taking note of his surroundings. Being calm, logical, and level-headed, he always rationalized his approach to almost each and every situation thinkable. Though his strategizing wasn't perfect and he wasn't at the peak of his skill, his acrobatic performance as a fighter was well known among his peers. And right now, he was mentally reviewing every possible option he had in completing the mission, and possibly finding something for the bet.

Nora, on the other hand…

"Ren! I think I found something!"

"Is it the berries from thirty minutes ago?"

"…Yeah…"

She was basically in a loop of finding berries. Though they looked unfamiliar, no one would really be interested in berries as a popular discovery. What was tiring about it was that she's been finding the same type of berries in almost every bush they passed during the day.

"Just refrain from eating them."

"Okay!"

Taking a breath in and out, Ren continued the trek with Nora following close behind. Although, they did not notice the speedy blur of white and red from a distance away from them.

* * *

"RUBY, SLOW DOWN!"

"WE'RE ALMOST THERE! JUST HANG ON!"

Weiss thought she was going to be sick. She never thought what it was like to be in Ruby's shoes when using her semblance but with what she was experiencing now, she would never want to run at this speed herself. It was enough to be pulled along while her partner was using it. The nausea in her stomach, the aches in her limbs, and being unable to clearly see anything as it was just a blur, it was too much! How was that child able to master it so well?

The running kept on for a few minutes, and all Weiss could see were the blurred colors of green, brown, and red. She could faintly feel some of the rose petals land on her face while being dragged along, which appeared whenever Ruby's semblance was activated. Suddenly, the red clad speedster came to a halt. Whether it was unintentional or not, Weiss seemed to be sent flying for a moment, before hitting the ground and skidding face-first across the dirt. She eventually stopped skidding but laid still where she stopped for a moment. The entire scene would be comical, were it not for Weiss had possibly been hurt.

"*Gasp*! Weiss, I'm sorry!" Weiss could hear Ruby call out in apology. "I thought I was hanging on to you, but then I stopped and I thought you would be fine, but then I just saw you whiz by me and I saw you skidding on the ground and–"

"You… you…" Slowly, Weiss pushed herself up and started to stand, though there was evident effort as her legs were shaking. Then, she turned to reveal her condition. "You… have just… ruined my PERFECTLY CLEAN CLOTHES!" True to her word, Weiss's self-perfected image was tainted. She was covered in skid marks made of soil, her face dirtied and her combat dress smeared with the brown color of dirt. Her bangs were ruffled too, with some pieces of grime tangled in them. Saying that Weiss was upset at the moment was an understatement.

"Oh my gosh Weiss, I'm really, really, really sorry!" Ruby tried to apologize.

"Well you should be, damn it!" Weiss refuted, cursing to emphasize her anger.

Ruby took a step back, her eyes widening in fright and shock. She never heard Weiss swear before, not even when she would yell at her. Obviously, she crossed an apparent line. Cursing made the young girl uncomfortable; sometimes, she would hear Yang cuss casually but even then she would disapprove. To hear her partner curse directly at her, she felt hurt.

"Weiss…" She started to address the situation cautiously. "I didn't mean for this to happen, I swear, but this is really important. I think I found Dust!"

Weiss's angered expression suddenly switched to that of neutral, blankly staring at Ruby. "…You… found… Dust?" Ruby nodded quickly. Before she made a response, Weiss brushed some of the dirt out of her hair and exhaled a stressful sigh. "…If this is some sort of false lead, I swear on Dust itself–"

"N-n-no, really! I found it!" Ruby attempted to confirm the truth of her claims.

"Then where is it?!" Weiss demanded, her expression turning wrathful again.

Scared further, Ruby nervously pointed behind her with her index finger, the digit shaking slightly. Weiss hastily turned around to see the supposed Dust. To be honest, it wasn't what she was expecting… in fact, the very things that were in front of Weiss were something she thought she would never see in her lifetime.

Slowly but gradually, Weiss' expression turned to that of awe. Her brow loosened from furrowing, her teeth unclenched as her mouth slowly opened to gawk, and the flame of anger seemed to ebb away from her eyes. The condition of her uncleanly appearance was currently forgotten between the two, Ruby as well taking in the sight before them.

What was in front of them was indeed Dust, but it was no Dust mine. They were witness to an innumerous number of literal **towers of Dust**. They perfectly resembled any single shard of Dust, but they were enormous. They reached heights neither of them had ever seen before, far surpassing that of the trees. The clouds thickened and started to cover the sun again, but with the remainders of the light shining, they could see hints of various colors that radiated from them wherever the light hit them.

The two girls knew what these were… they were Dust Spires. It has always been said that long ago, when mankind was at the brink of extinction at the hands of the Grimm, it was thanks to their discovery of Dust that they fought off their enemies and continued to thrive. There is one variation of this story, though: The very first form of Dust that mankind discovered were the Spires. Through these massive Dust forms was mankind able to craft weapons that harnessed the elements to defend themselves. Such behemoth structures of nature's raw energy were considered unfeasible today, but here were two student huntresses standing in the presence of the Dust Spires.

"I… I can't… believe this…! The Dust Spires… actually exist?" Weiss finally stated in her amazement.

"Y-yeah… I think they do…" Ruby concurred.

Weiss slowly approached the Spires, walking towards the nearest one. Once in arms' reach, Weiss thought that she could see her own reflection. She cautiously moved her hand towards the structure, and once the hand made contact with the Spire she almost immediately took her hand off of it, looking at her hand in surprise.

"What's wrong?" asked Ruby, moving up next to Weiss.

"It's… warm." She responded.

"Warm?"

"Yeah… It was like the energy of a Dust crystal tenfold, and I felt it transfer into my very being from touching it." Ruby was astonished to hear such a description. Wanting to feel this for herself, she brought her hand onto the Spire. It felt warm… really warm! The heat that radiated from this structure traveled to Ruby's very core, giving her a sense of sudden elation. She took her hand off of the spire, staring intently at her warmed palm. She turned her head towards Weiss, her expression filled with amazement as well.

They found Dust… they completed the mission!

"We… we did it…" said Ruby.

"We… found Dust… we completed the mission…" Weiss concurred.

Feeling a sudden rush of energy, Ruby jumped into the air, throwing her hands up, and shouted "WE DID IT~!" She then sped off with her semblance, stopping at every Dust Spire she could find and touching them as well. She couldn't be any happier! After three days of searching, they finally found Dust!

Ruby could imagine it now, the praise she would receive from everyone – team JNPR congratulating her, the head professors approving of her achievement, Blake offering her silent applause, receiving Yang's signature bone-crushing hug of sisterly love, and Weiss would practically thank Ruby for being her leader and finally coming to a conclusion to their mission! Heck, she might finally recognize the friendship between them!

Ruby soon returned to Weiss in front of the first Dust Spire. "Weiss, I can't believe we did it! We found Dust and completed the mission!"

"Ruby… I think we won the bet too." Claimed Weiss.

"We won the–? *GASP*! We totally did!" Forget what was thought earlier, NOW Ruby couldn't be happier!

It was a given that most know of the legend of Dust Spires, but to actually find a large number of them existing! What was thought to be myth would soon become fact! The discovery of these massive Dust crystals would surely win team RWBY the bet.

"Ruby… we finished our mission's objective!" Weiss happily declared.

"Yeah!" Ruby concurred.

"We won the bet for our team!"

"Yeah!"

"And I can take over the family company!"

"YEA– wait, what?"

This was a sudden turn. Weiss's expression was full of glee, but there seemed something slightly sinister to it. She continued, "Just imagine it, Ruby! With these Dust Spires, I could practically use them to buy the SCP itself! Father would have to follow my rules! As of now I am Weiss Schnee, the one who found the greatest forms of Dust to ever exist on the face of Remnant! I can finally correct our family's crimes! HAHAHAHAHA~!"

As Weiss was maniacally laughing to her apparent plans of "buying" her family company, Ruby took a moment to think. _"Okay… that was weird. She wants to buy the Schnee Dust Company?_

_Isn't she the company's heiress? Maybe she's not thinking too clearly… I mean, she does want to become the head of the SCP, right? But to do that right now? I don't know, maybe she needs more time to… wait a minute…"_

Time. The moment she thought the word _time_ , she realized something important. Ruby took out her scroll to check the current time. Analyzing it for moment, she attempted to get Weiss' attention.

"Uh, hey Weiss?"

The heiress in question was still laughing maniacally.

"Weiss…?"

Still laughing.

"WEISS!"

She gasped, suddenly brought out of her maniacal laughing. She turned to her team leader and sheepishly asked, "Uh, y-yes?"

"What time do we have to leave?"

Upon hearing an important question, Weiss straightened herself out. "Oh, uh, around four in the afternoon, about the time the bullhead arrives… duh."

"…Uh-oh."

Weiss raised her brow curiously. "What?"

Ruby showed Weiss her scroll's home screen, the time reading 3:45pm.

…

* * *

"Dammit, it's almost time to go!"

Yang cursed her and Blake's current situation. They were lost, they almost could not see anything, they haven't found anything, and it was around fifteen minutes before departure. The worst of it though…

"I told you."

Was Blake's current attitude.

"Rrrrgh~!" Yang growled in frustration. She took a moment before dramatically addressing the situation, pointing her index finger at Blake to address her. "Don't worry, Kitty Kat! We–"

"Don't call me that."

"–still got time to find something! I don't care if it's Dust or whatever, we gotta be close to finding something! I can feel it!"

"And you think that will just miraculously happen?"

"I know it will!"

Blake exhaled loudly in frustration. "Yang, just give it a rest! There's nothing here, we're not finding anything and no one else will!"

"We can't just give up!" Yang rebuked.

"So you want to continue with this pointless mission?!"

"There's still that bet we have to win!"

"Why do you want to win your dumb bet?!"

"Because I want a cool new outfit!"

…

"… New… outfit…?" Blake slowly asked, giving a blank stare at her. Her voice slightly monotone but questioning tone.

Yang herself was surprised to reveal her secret so easily. She blinked a couple times, shrugged her shoulders and scratched the back of her head sheepishly. She started to explain herself while still embarrassed. "Well, yeah… one part of winning the bet was getting a wish granted by the losers, right? I kinda wanted to get JNPR to buy me this cool suit I saw the other day."

"… Suit?"

"Yeah, I remembered it a few days ago. It was this cool battle gear in one of the clothes shops! It was even in my colors too! I tried it the first time I saw it, but the price was too big. And, well, I thought… that this could work…" She further tried to defend her reasons.

"… Yang Xiao Long, you are by far the vainest person I have ever met." Blake deadpanned.

"Hey!" Yang barked at Blake's blunt accusation. Unfazed, the dark-haired girl continued.

"Do you really think this is worth it? Searching aimlessly for whatever we thought was here? Well, it's not. There's no Dust and there's nothing else to find. This whole mission has been a failure." Yang was certainly stunned to hear this from her partner. Though she knew she was a skeptical person, she hadn't spoken what was on her mind like this, for whoever was present to hear. Yang decided to take another approach to this.

"…Blake… is everything okay?" Blake widened her eyes in surprise to her question. "You haven't been sleeping well. I can tell, there's bags under your eyes. And now, you're fussing over this mission. I know you can be skeptical and you're right, this whole thing's been pretty sketchy. But… you don't go this far to question anything. Is something wrong?"

It only took Blake a short moment before narrowing her eyes at Yang, and walked past her. Yang turned her head to see the secretive girl still walking before she abruptly stopped and turned to her, her expression bordering on anger. "Do you know what we could be doing? Anything that's twice as productive as this!"

"How are mandatory missions not productive?" Yang questioned, putting her hands on her hips. "This stuff is for our grades and… uh~… for us to learn… and to train…" Yang tried to defend the mission's importance, but she couldn't think of anything. She didn't actually care for academics, but she had to get by if she wanted to graduate as a full-fledged huntress. "…and our grades!" She repeated.

"I don't care about grades!" Blake refuted. "Do you know what could be happening while we're hear?! The enemy could be acting on their plans right now, doing whoever knows what, and we would not be able to do anything to stop it, because we're stuck on this damned continent!"

Yang was almost immediately shocked, her eyes widening and her mouth slightly open. However, at the same time, something clicked in her mind. She realized what was bothering her partner, the truth behind her fatigue. A few days before the mission, their team came into a confrontation with Roman Torchwick. Though the battle ended with his escape, they were able to gather some information on his activities. Yang thought that it was the end of if for now, but it seemed that wasn't the case for Blake.

She was still thinking about everything. It wasn't just Torchwick either, she was thinking about the White Fang and the Dust robberies. Blake wanted to know why the terrorists, her former brothers and sisters in arms, are cooperating with the classy criminal. A human criminal no less. She also wanted to know why they were behind Dust robberies. The White Fang had enough resources since turning to violence and had gained more trough their campaign of raiding the Schnee Dust Company. The Dust robberies would give them more resources than necessary. She still had questions that needed answers.

Blake would prioritize finding answers to her questions. She would give up aspects of her life and devote much of her time to do that. She was beginning to neglect sleeping already, who knows what next she would do to herself. Blake was willing to put her life aside for this, Yang knew it. She knew because she did the same thing a long time ago and almost lost her life… and Ruby's. Yang was worried, scared, concerned, and any other word that described what she was feeling for Blake. She did not want Blake to make the same mistakes as her, she had to convince her otherwise!

"Blake… are you still thinking about Torchwick?" Yang asked cautiously, trying not to aggravate the tension of the situation.

"I'm not just 'thinking' about him! The White Fang, the Dust robberies, all of it! I'm trying to find answers, but I can't because I'm stuck here!" She declared, her emotions rising up each time she mentioned their troubles. Taking this as confirmation of her fears, Yang knew what to do next.

"Blake… you have to slow down." Yang firmly suggested, suddenly donning a serious and determined expression.

"What?!" Blake asked incredulously.

"You shouldn't just focus on something this important and shove away everything else!" Yang explained. "This takes time, and we have to think about ourselves! You have to think about yourself."

"Then I should just stop everything I'm doing?!" Blake refuted in question. "Should I be a good girl and get good grades, while they try to… I don't know, destroy the city?!"

"I'm not saying you should stop, I'm saying you should slow down! You can't just… just…!"

Ironically, Yang stopped talking, confusing Blake. Her attention was pulled to something else. She hadn't expected the headstrong girl to pause midsentence. It was uncharacteristic. Curious, she tried to get her attention back. "Yang?" she pried.

The only response she got was the blonde's face suddenly turning into an expression of shock. Gradually, her face widened further, as if the shock she was experiencing had deepened. Blake herself was genuinely shocked, but obviously not as much as Yang. She tried again to get her attention but before she could speak, she saw something in her eyes. With her enhanced vision, thanks to her heritage of cat Faunus, Blake looked closer into Yang's lilac eyes. She saw the reflection of two, dark shapes.

Blake turned around and immediately found what Yang was gazing at: Grimm.

She and Yang were staring into the eyes of two creatures of Grimm… and they were staring back. They had arms and legs but appeared quadrupedal, resting their knuckles on the ground, and their backs were hunched. She wasn't sure what their full height was, but she estimated around six feet or shorter – a rather small Grimm type. They had black skin and hair like any other Grimm. However, from what Blake could tell, they were lacking the typical bone-armor of the Grimm. The most she could see were bone plates emerging from the top of their shoulders and small, sharp thorns protruding from their elbows. On their torsos were two columns of horizontal stripes of white hair, making a rib-cage pattern. The one in front bore two large scars across its right shoulder and chest, and a scrape on its cheek. The second had a visible discoloration of ash grey speckles on its skin.

Yet that wasn't the reason why these Grimm were so bizarre. The Grimm were best characterized by the bony "masks" that grew from their skulls but… they had no masks. In place of masks were merely a pale white coloration resembling a skull covering them like face paint, except it appeared to be their natural skin tone, and a small red marking on their foreheads. Without masks, Blake could see their facial features, which seemed to be a primitive version of… a human's… or a Faunus's even! Their faces were flat with rounded lips, noses that displayed their nostrils openly, and large brows over their forward-facing eyes. These Grimm… they appeared to resemble primates. To be more accurate, they resembled apes.

Their eyes… Blake couldn't believe what she was seeing. They had eyes, but not the eyes of the Grimm. In place of pure red eyes that burned eternal hatred were the eyes of someone who was frightened. The physical resemblance to a human or Faunus was uncanny too, having an opaque white sclera, a colorful iris, and a pitch-black pupil. The first one in front had blue eyes and the other had green. However, their irises had tiny red flecks within them, as if it was what remained of their demonic origin.

Despite what they were, they appeared scared of them as much as the girls were shocked of their existence. They appeared to act more human than Grimm. A Grimm that acted and looked like a human… it was the scariest thing that neither of them had ever thought of. However, Blake hadn't let it get the better of her. Whatever they looked like didn't matter, they were wild Grimm that could attack at any moment.

In an instant, she drew Gambol Shroud in pistol form and aimed it at the Grimm. Seeing this, Yang hurried into a signature boxing stance, remembering they were in danger. They were ready to fight… the key word being "they." The moment the two Grimm witnessed their stances, they were scared further, almost jumping back in response. Yang dropped her guard slightly, completely confused as to why they reacted that way. Blake kept her weapon up, but inside she was dazed by their actions.

 _"What are they doing?"_ Yang thought in bewilderment. First she saw the strangest Grimm in her life, now she sees them showing emotions. Were they even Grimm? …For some reason, Yang thought it was possible to… reason with these Grimm. "H-hey… it's alright… d-don't be scared…" Before she could continue "comforting" them, the Grimm with the blue eyes slowly donned an expression of complete contempt.

The moment Yang started talking, Blake turned her head to her, the sword-pistol wielding girl's expression obviously saying _what the hell are you doing?_ Yang gave her own confused expression saying _I don't know!_ Before anything else could be said silently, they heard snarling. They turned to see the blue-eyed Grimm trying to intimidate them, threatening them into leaving. It even appeared to be protecting the other Grimm, who was still frightened. The girls were further amazed by them. However, after a second snarl, Yang noticed something wrong with Blake. Her hands were shaking; soon, she was barely able to hold up her pistol.

"Blake?" Yang asked in concern. She took a step closer to Blake while the snarling only gotten louder. Yang could see the side of her partner's face, sweat starting to run profusely, her mouth in a panicked frown, her clenched teeth showing, and the pupils in her eyes dilated from an emotion unknown to Yang. This time, Yang was scared of her, afraid of what was happening to Blake. What was also unknown to Yang was the second ape noticing the nervous body language. Whether it was making its own attempt to negotiate or it was merely curious, the grey-skinned Grimm took a step in front of its companion. Unfortunately, Blake noticed it with widened eyes.

***BANG*!**

She fired her pistol instinctually, the sound of the firing mechanism echoing through the forest, and the bullet hit its intended target.

* * *

"Did you hear that?!" Ruby exclaimed.

As she and Weiss were trying to configure a plan for how to regroup with the others and meet up with the bullhead, and how to pinpoint the exact location of the Dust Spires on the continent, they heard a loud gunshot.

"Yes, I did…" Weiss confirmed. "Who fired their weapon?"

"I don't know, but our friends are in trouble! We have to help!" Ruby declared, then immediately grabbed Weiss' hand.

"What are you – wait, DON'T USE YOUR SEMBLANCE–!"

Ruby used her semblance and sped off, with Weiss practically hanging for dear life once again while screaming her head off.

* * *

Jaune and Pyrrha heard the gunshot just as well.

"Uh oh…" Jaune uttered in dread.

"Come on!" Pyrrha proclaimed. They both ran for wherever the gunshot was, hoping to make it in time to aid whoever needed it.

* * *

Ren and Nora stopped in their tracks. Halting their search, they turned their heads to the direction of the gunshot. They then turned to each other, both acknowledging from the other what they had to do. They quickly changed directions and ran towards the location of the gunshot. They didn't know who, but their friends needed help.

* * *

Unknown to all of the students, deep in the forest, there lies a village. Its huts and homes made of the same wood from the trees that surrounded them. From a hill that overlooked the village, there stood a tree. It was hardly as tall as the forest's trees though, being a different kind of tree, but it stood high above the village. Built into this tree were large logs that formed a stairway. This stairway led to a large, decorated hut at the top of the tree. It's only residents was a family of three currently, one of them hardly a day old infant. It was a peaceful sleep for this family.

Until a loud booming sound went off.

One of them awoke frantically, possibly being the family's patriarch. Breathing heavily, his eyes swept the room left and right. He turned to his family, relieved to find them alright and still asleep. However, he was deeply troubled once he heard that sound. He knew that sound well. He hadn't heard it in such a long time, he'd never have thought that he would recognize it now. He knew what tools make that sound… and he knows what two species use those weapons. He had seen neither of their **kinds** for so long, he thought they were long dead. How arrogant of him. What troubled him more was why or how **they** were hear, or even if both species were here.

The patriarch then heard hooting. Exiting the room and watching below, he witnessed the residents of his village in a panicked crowd. He wasn't the only one who heard that sound. He saw many of his compatriots trying to make heads or tails of what they heard. Before he could calm the villagers, he heard a distressed call from afar. Despite the noise coming from the panicked villagers, he could pick up this call for help. Unfortunately, he knew who was calling.

Now with a newfound determination, the patriarch thundered a commanding shout, his voice heard amongst the villagers. They looked up to see their leader atop the village tree. As all eyes were on him, the village patriarch gave orders to form a search party, to find out what was happening, and to find the one calling for their help.

No matter what, Caesar had to find his son.

* * *

"Blake, what did you do?!"

The girl in question said nothing. She merely stood there, motionless. Her expression was wrought with horror at what she apparently had done.

The shot she fired hit the grey-skinned Grimm, only scathing the creature's shoulder. The pain was enough to send the "ape's" body into a fit of uncontrollable spasms. It was in shock, its breath beginning to hyperventilate. The only control the animal seemed to have of its body was the fear it expressed for its life. While Blake seemed to have shut down, Yang was surprised by the Grimm's ability to express fear. What shocked her more was what the blue eyed Grimm was doing.

The moment its companion was writhing in pain, the blue eyed Grimm came to its aid. It held its "friend" in its arms, trying to ease its pain but its attempts were useless. Fear was also evident in this creature's face but not for itself or of its assailants, but for its friend. Yang couldn't explain the spectacle of emotions she saw before her, from Grimm no less. The blue eyed Grimm turned its head to the girls, the fear growing in its eyes. In the short moment she locked eyes with it, Yang herself was scared. The Grimm broke the eye contact and began shouting a loud series of pants and hoots, turning its head left and right to spread the echoing of its "pant-hoots."

It was calling for help. Of course there would be more of them. Unwilling to face more of these strange Grimm with the condition Blake was in, Yang tried to get Blake out of her stupor. Grabbing her shoulder, Yang shouts at her, "Blake, we should go!"

Fortunately, her words got the girl's attention. Gasping and blinking her eyes, Blake turned to Yang. "Wha–? What's happening–?"

"We have to go! It's calling for help, we can't–!"

Before she could finish her sentence, they felt a small gust of wind blow into them. "Yang?!" spoke a young voice. The blonde brawler in question turned to see Ruby and Weiss two meters from them, the former having used her semblance to reach them as the latter dropped to her knees in exhaustion.

"Don't… do… that… without… telling me… again…!" Weiss muttered between breaths.

"Ruby?! How did you find us?" Yang asked.

"We heard the gunshot from earlier! Are you guys… *gasp*!" Ruby was explaining how she found them, but noticed their predicament with the strange beasts. "Are those… Grimm?"

"G-Grimm?! Where are the–!" Weiss tried to ask before seeing them for herself, her eyes widening.

The blue-eyed Grimm stopped the hooting to see them as well, the grey-skinned in its arms still in shock. The fear in the Grimm's face was greater now, realizing the danger it was in increased. It continued its pant-hoots, this time louder and more frantic. Both Ruby and Weiss were surprised by the creature's reaction.

"What is it… Yang, what's going on?" Ruby asked, unknowing of what had occurred or what the Grimm was doing now.

"I'll explain later; we should get out of here–!"

"Guys?!" another voice interrupted. The reunited team RWBY turned to see Jaune and Pyrrha, and catching up to them were Ren and Nora. Just how close were they to have found them this deep into the forest?

"We heard the gunshot, is everything all right – w-what in the world?!" Pyrrha tried to ask what was happening, until she noticed the Grimm apes.

"Woah! Ren, are those… Monkey Grimm?!" Nora asked incredulously.

"… I… think they resemble apes… Nora…" Ren answered unsurely, surprised to see this type of monsters and more so by the expression of fear one of them had.

The blue-eyed Grimm was now silenced with fear. It was surrounded by humans, and none of its kind were here. It wasn't even sure if its calls were heard. Everything seemed hopeless for it. It would have to run with its friend, but it knew that escaping from them wouldn't be possible. It was likely thinking that they were going to kill them both at this point…

"What are they? I haven't seen these kinds of Grimm before…" Jaune questioned.

"I don't know, but we're wasting time!" Yang informed them. "It's been calling for help, so we have to–!"

Much to Yang's annoyance, she was interrupted again but to her fear, it wasn't from a person or even an individual. Gradually, they heard trampling and multiple pant-hoots from the hill above them. The Grimm's help had come. The eight student hunters turned to witness what could just possibly be an army of these Grimm apes. Each of them bore the characteristics of the first two they found: black hair and skin, white coloration over their faces and torsos, very little bone armor that consisted of either bony plates, spikes, or both, and the human-like facial features, including the colorful eyes. Unexpectedly, these Grimm had another surprise for the students. Many of them were carrying spears.

As the party was coming closer to the students, one of the Grimm apes suddenly landed right next them, surprising them. This ape was barer than the others, an ashy hue to its skin. It had the same white markings only faded, the bony plate armor on its shoulders, and a curved spine protruding from each elbow. It was holding a large spear and pointing it at them, while making the panting noises like the others.

 _"Well… I guess we now know who were hunting the elk…"_ Yang thought.

The Grimm apes had come to a stop, merely a few meters were between them and the young hunters-in-training. On a tree stump stood a single Grimm Ape, possibly the leader of this group. It was the only thing that stood between the Grimm and the students. It basically looked the same as the others, having green irises, and it had some sort of resemblance to the blue eyed Grimm who called for their help. Yet this Grimm was different. It exuded some sort of authoritative aura from itself, as if it had a strong will and an absolute resolve. This Grimm was definitely the leader.

The eight students were amazed at the Grimm apes' organized formation, the hand-crafted spears they carried, and the surprising show of intelligence they displayed. They could possibly be more intelligent then they let on. So shocked were these youths, they had almost completely forgotten their training at the moment, nearly ignoring the fact that they should take up their fighting stances in the presence of the Grimm. Fortunately, fighting did not seem necessary at the moment. The Grimm apes seemed to be curious, cautions, or frightened of them (the leader having all three of these emotions), rather than wanting to consume their flesh. Nevertheless, the students did have their guard, though they were slightly faulty at the moment.

The hairless Grimm approached the first two Grimm, and taking the wounded Grimm in its arms from the blue eyed Grimm. The hairless Grimm took a moment to gaze in shock at the wounded, and started hooting. The hairless Grimm was in pain, not physically, emotionally. It obviously had a bond with the wounded Grimm like the blue eyed one, but the students didn't know what kind of bond. The hairless Grimm was addressing the leader with its hooting and making hand gestures of some kind. The leader responded with hand gestures of its own, which somehow calmed down the distraught Grimm ape.

Ruby wasn't sure what she witnessed, but she at least understood the meaning behind it. They had communicated through these pant-hoots and gestures. If she had to guess, Ruby assumed that they could have been using sign language. She wasn't sure how but they did. They were much more intelligent than she believed, than any of them believed. …What if they didn't want to fight? Could she try to talk to them? Would they be able to understand her if she spoke? Before Ruby completely knew what she was doing, she decided to test that theory.

"Um… we come in peace?" All eyes were on her, the Grimm's and her peers' included, the latter glaring at her in bewilderment. "Uh, I mean… we don't mean any harm!"

"Ruby, what do you think you're doing?!" Weiss questionably whispered. "You can't possibly negotiate with them, you dunce!"

"Y-yeah, they're just Grimm!" Jaune nervously concurred. "They can't understand us!"

"I don't know, I'm trying!" Ruby whispered back in response. "Besides… do they really look just like Grimm to you?"

Upon asking that, they all looked to the creatures in question. They had some characteristics with a regular Grimm but not much. They had no masks whatsoever, instead with pale white faces that looked akin to a primitive human, and they had eyes like a human. One could say they had the faces of a Faunus too, if none of their animal features appeared on their faces. Some of the Grimm Apes were different from another, having more or less hair than each other. Ruby swore she could see a Grimm ape farther in the group with shaggy hair, spines coming out of its back, and a wide, flattened, and rotund face. She also thought she saw one with a scar across its face.

As the silence continued between the two groups, Ruby had an idea. Slowly, she took a step forward, the move making Yang quietly protest. Some of the Grimm apes stirred in response, but the leader held out its arm as a signal to hold their position. The leader seemed to be more cautious now. Ruby slowly took a couple more steps and stopped. She took a moment to think, unsure of what to do next. Almost instantly, she had another idea.

"Guys, put your weapons down." She quietly requested.

"W-what?" Blake asked.

"You can't be serious…" Weiss claimed.

"They're not attacking us. We should prove we're not a threat too." Ruby explained, emphasizing her point by deactivating Crescent Rose into its transportable form and storing it onto the back of her waist. Reluctantly, the others followed her example, Blake being the last to sheathe her sword and remount it on her back.

The leader of the Grimm apes blinked and slowly lowered its arm to its side. Ruby couldn't tell if it worked or not, but they seemed to have made some sort of progress. On the inside, Ruby was slightly elated, earning the achievement of somehow negotiating with Grimm… despite these being abnormal. Suddenly, the leader donned a stern expression. Ruby couldn't tell if it was angry or not.

Then came the final and the greatest surprise of the day for teams RWBY and JNPR. What the leader did was something none of them would have ever expected in their lifetimes. The leader… shouted one word. One single command with a powerful voice!

"GOOOOOO~!"

…

…

…

"H-… holy shit…" Yang muttered in disbelief, her eyes full of horror, one of the few feelings she expressed.

With a single swear, she summarized what everyone was thinking. They thought they were dealing with the most abnormal Grimm they have encountered, appearing to look more like the apes they resembled. How was it able to speak? And so clearly? Forget their mission or their bet, this could be the greatest discovery in the history of Remnant! The Grimm were much more than they believed them to be! However, only thoughts of fear and paranoia currently clouded their minds.

Ruby stared with wide eyes, astonished by how this turned out.

Weiss was completely flabbergasted, wanting to believe her ears had deceived her just now.

Even Blake was terrified, her own lower lip trembling.

"T-t-t-th-th-tha-at… G-Gr-Grimm… j-j-j-ju-just–!" Jaune failed to reiterate what happened, stuttering out of pure panic.

"S-spoke…!" Ren finished, a little stutter in his own voice as his composure was starting to fail him.

"Th-that's not… possible!" Pyrrha claimed.

And Nora…

"…That… was… awesome~!"

Well, she usually reacted like that, no matter how unconventional the situation or her response.

Ren stared at her in bewilderment. "…And really scary, too." She quickly mentioned to keep any ill intent away from her.

To their misfortune, they seemed to have tested the Grimm leader's patience. Scowling, the leader jumped from its post and landed perfectly in front of them. Standing up slowly, the leader stood a whole foot above most of them, taller than even Jaune by a few more inches. Its mouth closed in a stern frown and eyes that bore a tranquil fury. The leader's expression was sincerely intimidating, sending chills down the students' spines. If they stayed any longer, they would likely piss it off more, and they did not want to find out how angry this Grimm could get.

"Okay, much scarier now! Still awesome, but mostly scary!" Nora admitted. Now she was really frightened.

"A-alright!" Ruby suddenly complied. "W-we're going! W-we won't do anything funny, I promise!" Despite her truthful claims of them leaving, it did little to calm the leader, who took a step towards them.

Much to their shock, another ape shouted. "GOOOOO~!" This voice was slightly louder, and was a slightly raspy voice. They didn't see which ape shouted but if they listened closer, they would have picked up a hint of elation in the order, as if the shouter took glee in telling them what to do.

"A-are you kidding me?!" Weiss gawked, scared out of her own mind. "Do all of them know how to speak?!"

She got a response, though it wasn't much coherent speech. The apes started pant-hooting once again, their volume increasing. Some of the apes jumped from their perches, joining their leader on the ground, staying a distance behind the leader. Suddenly, while walking back as the Grimm apes pushed forward, Ruby tripped on something she didn't see. She almost fell down the slope of the path but luckily, she stopped herself from actually falling. Getting her bearings, she quickly stood up –

***CLICK* *CRUNCH***

She paused, confused by the sudden sound. She quickly felt her back, finding nothing connected to her waist, behind her cloak. Now she was concerned. She turned around to find Crescent Rose, inactive, laying on the ground, the grass crunched underneath it. Gasping over her weapon's condition, she made to reach for it but, to her heartbreaking distress, Yang grabbed her arm and pulled her way.

"Ruby, we have to go!" She said.

"Yang wait! Crescent Rose is–!"

"There's no TIME!"

"Yang NOOOOOOOOO~~~!"

Ruby cried in despair, the image of the apes becoming more distant along with her beloved creation, as she was forced by her sister to leave with the others.

* * *

Caesar watched the eight humans run back into the forest. He was honestly surprised that the human race was still alive. Though he hoped that wasn't going to be the case, he already knew that it was.

The moment he could hear the distant pleas of help from his son, Blue Eyes, he organized a search party. It may have taken a moment to get to wherever he was but thankfully, they got there before anything worse could have happened. Though the closest thing to being the worst did happen – his honorary nephew Ash, son to his own friend Rocket, was shot. The moment Rocket saw his son's condition, he went hysterical. If he hadn't stopped him, Rocket could have recklessly attacked.

What shocked him more was the red girl's boldness. She was actually negotiating with him! And she even convinced her comrades to lower their weapons! Caesar would have been moved, were it not for how serious the situation was. He knew in some way it would astonish them if he spoke, and spoke he did. At first they did not immediately leave, until he made it clear that was truly his intention. The red girl seemed distressed over something she dropped. Something large and colored the same shade or red like her clothes.

As he stared in their direction, the image of them blurrier with the growing distance, one of his allies was gazing at the red object. This was Maurice, Caesar's closest friend and even a mentor of sorts. Maurice was a different type of their species. His hair was longer and shaggier, though a rib cage pattern was still present on his chest, only the lines were slimmer. His face was round and wide like an oversized dinner plate, not much of his dark skin was covered by his small white facial mask. He bore no bony plating but from his back grew six long bone spikes, ranging from one to three feet in length. Maurice picked up the red object, analyzing it for a moment, before giving it to Caesar for a look. Upon taking it in his hands, he was surprised by the weight of the object. Whatever it was he wasn't sure, but he couldn't focus on this mere tool at the moment.

"Koba!" Caesar called out, bringing his eyes forward again. Almost immediately, an ape ran up to him. He was similar in height to Caesar and had the same appearance as the other Grimm apes – dark hair and skin, white rib pattern and face mask, bony shoulder plates and elbow protrusions. The ape had a darker hair and complexion than Caesar, but what was more noticeable was a scar that grafted his face and left eye, which was milky white as a result of the physical trauma. His right eye was blue. Koba is another friend of Caesar's, but he is also the colony's commander of their army, and even an advisor to Caesar.

"Follow." Caesar gave Koba his orders with one word. Not needing any explanation, Koba hooted for his own lieutenants, the pair of Grey and Stone, to follow him. The trio quickly sped off in the humans' direction. Luca, a large ape whose armor consisted of only bony plates, was going to follow the humans with Koba as well. However, Caesar placed his arm on Luca's chest to stop him. Luca glanced at his leader in question but received no acknowledgement in return. He opted not to oppose him and stay behind as Caesar wished.

Koba and his troupe disappeared into the forest. Caesar knew they were going to catch up but that was not worried him. Caesar wondered where exactly these humans came from…

* * *

"Ya know, I didn't think we'd be the guys to pick 'em up."

"Same."

Robin and Thomas were not the most diligent of pilots. Anyone who knew them would confirm that and they wouldn't deny it either. Why they didn't take their job seriously enough, no one really knew. Maybe they were just two men who had dreams, dreams that were crushed from the realities and hardships of life.

So imagine how they felt about driving a prototype of a bullhead variant, something they had no experience with, while they had to transport eight kids (in their eyes, at least, they were kids) from one continent to the next, one of which was supposedly full to the brim with Grimm, to their knowledge. Of course they weren't too thrilled. Then, imagine that they were ordered to take the same bullhead, to pick up the same children, and from the same Grimm infested continent. …Well, they felt the same as before, only a little more displeased.

Now don't misunderstand, they were willing to fulfill their jobs. They had to if they wanted to keep themselves financially afloat. It was simple work, too. They just did not like their jobs overall. Then again, they were not thrill seekers either. All they really wanted in their lives was a better paying job.

"I didn't want to get them again either." Thomas added.

"Same." Robin repeated.

Eventually, the coastline became visible in their line of sight from the cockpit. Gently, they landed the seeker on the beach. The side door to the transport room opened. Thomas stood up from his seat, exited the cockpit and entered the transport room. He took in the view in front of him. The waves crashing onto the sandy beach and the large trees that grew here. It was a serene environment that Thomas enjoyed to see. Although, there was one thing missing…

"The kids aren't here." Thomas informed, turning his head to Robin's direction.

"I can see that from the cockpit, Tom." Said Robin, matter-of-fact.

"We're here on time for once but they're late." Thomas said with distaste. Sometimes he and Robin would be late for a delivery or a pickup but whenever they were on time, the goods turned up late and made them late. What was worse was because of their track records, their superiors wouldn't believe it wasn't their fault. "Those ungrateful little…"

"Hey now, don't go calling kids by some mean names. It makes you look more immature than them." Robin chastised, though he had a playful and nonchalant tone to his voice, sounding that he wasn't very serious.

Thomas narrowed his eyes. "You don't care what I call anyone." He rebuked.

"I don't, but I do care about making fun of you." Robin responded with a smug grin.

"Tch." He grunted in annoyance. Thomas turned his attention back to the outside view. Thankfully, it only took a short moment before the students came into view. He saw them come rushing in at a fast pace. Though curious, he welcomed the fact that they didn't take too long.

"They're here, Rob! Open the ramp!" His copilot responded quickly. Almost immediately, a wide ramp started to slither out underneath Thomas's feet. The ramp was fully unloaded, latching onto the ground and making itself a climbable surface. The students were coming closer, and they started walking up the ramp.

"Well," Thomas decided to greet them. "You young'uns finally made it. And here I thought you all would take your sweet time to – wha- hey!" The yellow haired girl knocked into him, forcefully pushing him to the side. Thomas didn't really know what her or the other's names were, but whatever it was he probably get to know while giving her a piece of his mind for the rude gesture. As the others got into the compartment, yellow-hair was the first to speak up. "Alright, get this thing going!"

"Hey kid, don't you ignore your little 'bump' into me!" Thomas angrily called out to her. He wasn't the type who often started a fight, but an unexplained incident of physical contact would often get on his nerve, irritating him greatly.

"We don't have time!" She refuted. "Get this damn bullhead off the ground now!"

"Why you ignorant little…" Now angrier, Thomas wouldn't have any of what she ordered. He quickly stomped towards her. "I have half a mind to teach you some manners, you stupid – YIPE!"

Before he could say anything else, the girl instantly grabbed his the collar of his shirt with both hands, and brought his face close to hers. The expression he saw on her was instantly intimidating, making her seem like wrath incarnate. If that wasn't enough, he even saw her lilac eyes physically change color into a bright blood red. He even thought that her hair was glowing and _smoking_ at the same time! She spoke in a threatening tone that practically dripped venom.

"Get us into the air right now, or I swear on Dust, I will unload a whole round from my Ember Celica DOWN INTO YOUR THROAT!"

…

Yeah, he wasn't going to risk his throat being torn apart by bullets. Even if he had aura to protect his body, he doubted it would save him from this girl. "R-Rob? A-a-a l-little h-help here, b-buddy?"

Robin was watching everything from the cockpit, having turned his head far back enough to see outside of the cockpit's open doorway. Now that he was called into question, the rage induced girl turned her fiery glare to the second man, along with everyone else's gazes. He gulped, but knew that he had to play this coolly.

"Um… miss…" he started. "… I kind of need my copilot for flying this thing, so… maybe you could hold off on that? Please? You can unload that round into his throat after we get home, if you want."

 _"Wow, way to care for my life, Robin, you sly twat."_ Thomas thought sourly.

She glared at Robin for another moment, but her gaze softened ever so slowly. She then closed her eyes. She took in a deep inhale, and breathed out calmly. Her eyes opened again to reveal the original lilac color, but they were wrought with stress.

"Fine. Just get us out of here." She threw Thomas over to Robin, the former scrambling into his pilot seat. With the clicks of a few buttons, the ramp slithered back into its containment, and the sliding door to their roomy compartment automatically closed shut. Robin pulled a lever, the engines heating up could be hear outside. Soon they felt themselves lifting off the ground, the seeker bullhead was now hovering. Finally, the engines let out a burst of energy, and off it flew into the sky. Had any of them stayed longer though, they could have seen three dark colored creatures exiting the thick forest now, racing towards them.

* * *

"What the hell was that all about?" Thomas grumbled, regaining his composure.

"No idea. Glad she didn't kill you." Robin answered.

"Oh, yeah, you definitely convinced me that you did." He sarcastically scorned.

"Hey, the only truth I told was needing you to fly this thing. I'm not gonna let someone just up an' murder your ass." He retorted.

"Tch. Whatever you say…" Thomas couldn't feel more humiliated. It was peculiar how a bullhead pilot like himself could have any sense of pride but he did, and the source of it all was that yellow haired girl. Thomas turned his head to look out of the cockpit's open entryway, hoping to give a glower at her if he could. But any scornful thought he had was suddenly replaced with confusion.

In the short moment he saw them, the students were in such a desolate mood. Each of them seemed to have experienced something on the three days they were on this land. Thomas didn't know what was bothering them, but it appeared to be serious. He saw the girl with black hair sitting in the left corner. Her arms were hugging her knees close to her chest, her head was held low and her face buried between her knees. The white haired girl had her back against the wall, her left hand holding her head, balled up in a fist and clutching a handful of her hair. Her eyes were wide and scared, staring into nothingness while she took deep but shaky breaths.

One of the only boys, also a blond, was pacing back and forth frantically, muttering something along the lines of "that couldn't have been real," while a red haired girl tried to calm him down, get his mind grounded on reality again. The other boy, also having a black hair with an odd streak of pink, and a short girl with orange hair, seemed to be the only two that were unaffected, or at least it seemed that way. The two were looking to their friends in great worry.

But the worst of them, from what Thomas could tell, were the yellow haired girl and the girl with red and black hair in the center of the transport compartment. From the angle he saw her, the former's back was to him, but he could barely see the side of her face. The smaller girl's face he could not see at all, as she and the yellow haired girl were in a tight embrace. It seemed… sisterly. What was worse was that he could hear deep and loud sobbing coming out of one of them, the red and black haired girl likely. She was tightly clutching onto the taller girl, and her body was shaking with each sob that racked her being. The yellow haired girl was softly stroking her companion's hair. Thomas could faintly hear what they were saying:

"I left her! … I left her…!"

"I know… I'm sorry, Ruby… I'm sorry…"

Thomas wasn't certain what he should have felt, seeing this. Confusion because he didn't understand? Melancholy because they were hurt? Or anger because he still remembered that his pathetic pride was hurt? … At the moment, he felt it would be easier if he forgot everything that happened earlier, and ignore the children's dilemma for now. He turned his back to the control panel in front of him, returning to his duties as a pilot.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked, apparently taking notice of Thomas's befuddled expression.

"… Nothing. Don't worry about it." He quickly answered.

Robin wasn't sure to think of his friend's evasive answer, but he decided to let it slide. He turned back to the view in front of him. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something through the cockpit's window. Turning his head to fully view this spectacle, he could see it clearly… in a manner of speaking. Outside of the bullhead was a shape that had the same form and consistency as the clouds. It was much more darker than the grey storm clouds, almost pitch black, leaving a long trail made of its material behind it, and it was moving as fast as the bullhead. It was like a living creature of cloud. Robin couldn't make heads or tails of what he was seeing.

"What the…? Hey Tom, look at this." Before he could however, the dark cloud moved up faster than the eye could see, and it disappeared behind the bullhead.

"Hmm? Look at what?" Thomas asked. He didn't have time to see anything.

"But… it was just there…" Robin muttered in shock.

*CLUNK*

Just slightly, the vehicle jerked. It felt that the very top of the bullhead was hit by something outside. It was for a quick moment and it didn't happen again. None of the children seem to have noticed, they were too focused on themselves and each other. Robin and Thomas could though, the former being a little more attentive to this.

"What was that?" Robin questioned.

"Probably just turbulence, don't think too hard about it." Thomas dismissed. Robin questionably thought how that could have been the case, since the vehicle jerked once and only once. Then again, he should worry more about piloting the vehicle than possible supernatural forces.

"… Yeah… it's probably that." He slowly agreed, putting the bizarre cloud and the sudden judder in the back of his mind.

* * *

As ordered by their leader, Caesar, Koba, Grey, and Stone easily followed the humans to their plane, without being caught. But the moment they had caught up to them, they all had entered their contraption and high up into the sky they flew. Now, one could have easily given up hope of chasing their targets down at this moment… but not Koba. Thanks to Grey and the power he withholds, they caught up with the vehicle, once again with ease. Now they were on the flying machine's back, while all of the humans were inside, and Koba's own lieutenant was questioning if they were noticed or not.

 _Do you think humans saw us?_ Grey signed to his superior, Koba.

 _No. Humans would do something if saw us._ Koba confidently answered. He was proud of the advantage of secrecy they currently had over the humans right now.

 _What do we do when plane lands?_ Stone himself signed in question.

 _What else? We follow humans…_ Koba took a moment to think of what to sign, then finished. _And find their homes._

 _What if they find us then?_ signed Grey.

 _… We kill humans… and Faunus who see us …_ Koba grimly answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note, 12/17/16:
> 
> Well, this was a thing. I feel so cruel for making Ruby lose her Crescent Rose, but I really wanted to write this out. It's kind of like a substitute for when Alexander, Malcolm's son, dropped his art bag in Dawn. If you're wondering what the hell I did to Blake, you'll see next chapter. However, I will say that I made her do this because out of all the guys n' gals of team RWBY and JNPR, I thought that she would be the only one to do what Carver did: shooting the apes, but for a different reason of course. Also, it goes without saying that I made up the Dust Spires. They'll be very important to the story though.
> 
> Now… about the apes. What do you think? Did I completely ruin them or did I create something legitimately interesting? In case I wasn't clear with my description, they look like the apes wearing the war paint from Dawn except it's natural coloration like the stripes on a zebra; they're slightly larger and have Grimm features like bone spikes, armor, or both, black skin and black fur. Anyway, they are still Grimm… but they are not Grimm at the same time. You and the RWBY characters will find out later, the story's second genre is mystery for a reason. But I will explain why I chose to make the Apes like this:
> 
> In my opinion, I think that one reason that the POTA reboots are so successful is how humane the apes are portrayed. Not just emotionally or mentally, but physically! Their facial expressions are so real and believable, much more than the humans' even though the human actors do an excellent job as well. I thought that if I made the apes full Grimm, having the skull masks and all that, I would take away their expressiveness from this story and that's something I didn't want to do. So in a nutshell, the apes are still physically Grimm, but what they truly are will be revealed later along the plot. But here's one spoiler alert: because of what they are, they will have abilities that are rather… common, let's say, on Remnant. Hint, hint.
> 
> And what did you think of the bullhead pilots? I'm not really one for making original characters for a fandom. But hey, don't knock it till you try it. They're not gonna be important to the story… well, maybe they'll be there for plot convenience or comic relief, or this will be their only appearance. I dunno. Also, the whole "seeker bullhead" thing – at first, I thought a regular bullhead would be fine, but I wasn't sure if it was meant for travel between continents. An airship or airbus would take too long to travel, so I came up with this. Was my description good enough, or should I edit that in the future? Also, I like to make original animals and technology for a fandom
> 
> And by the way, what names should I give for the Grimm Apes' various species? We already have the Beringel for gorillas, but what about for chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans? I made some names already, but I don't know if they're good enough:
> 
> *Hominidon (Grimm Chimpanzee)
> 
> *Pygmy Hominidon (Grimm Bonobo)
> 
> *Gigantops (Grimm Orangutan)
> 
> So should I go with these, or would anyone like to suggest anything else?
> 
> So, that's all I got. Either you did or didn't like what I did for the apes but were my reasons for it agreeable? Let me know in a review, if you can. Chapter three will be published after my second fanfic is posted. Laters!


	3. Mission Report

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ownership:
> 
> RWBY is owned by creator Monty Oum, God rest his soul, and Rooster Teeth Productions.
> 
> Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is owned by 20th Century Fox, Chenrin Entertainment, and TSG Entertainment.
> 
> I, the humble author of this fan-work, own absolutely nothing, gain no profit whatsoever, and wish only to express my writing and love for these fandoms artistically.
> 
> /-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\
> 
> Life sucks hard. Prepare for original backstory for Blakey.

Chapter 3: Mission Report

 

_Yesterday evening_

* * *

_Now was a good time for rest._

_The entire day was quite harsh towards Caesar. The day's hunt was a trial of his patience, as the rain had come down on his hair and skin, and the sickly fog was enough to keep him from seeing clearly, momentarily. What was more challenging was teaching his son during the event. It was Blue Eye's first hunt today. Someday, the boy would take his place, so Caesar knew that Blue Eyes must learn of the challenging custom that the colony members must perform, in order to sustain itself and thrive._

_Caesar's work was cut out for him, though he already knew. Blue Eyes was impatient, eager to make a kill and bring home the meat for their clan. Caesar had to keep him from signaling to early. If an ape who didn't understand saw the young heir's sign gestures, the whole hunt could have been botched. Nevertheless, Caesar reminded Blue Eyes to wait; he gave the signal himself, a great shout that broke the tranquility of the forest. Their prey, a great herd of elk, sprung into a stampede. The hunting party broke into groups, each after a different prize, as Caesar took only his son after their own quarry, a large and proud bull elk. Caesar easily brought it down with a pair of bolas, trapping its legs together and forcing it to fall down the hill; Blue Eyes witnessed his father's display in awe._

_Yet again, however, Caesar was gravely reminded of Blue Eye's tactlessness. Before they approached the downed animal, Caesar saw marks on a tree. He told Blue Eyes to wait as approached the tree. Brushing his hand over the bark, Caesar found that the tree was marked by something like claws. The wood was freshly sliced; a beast was nearby. Before he knew it, Caesar heard a cry of pain, a bestial roar, and the sound of flesh being cut deep. He turned around, and was dismayed by the sight: an adult Grizzly Bear, the size of at least two of Caesar's kind. Blue Eyes was knocked to the ground… and his chest was slashed – two long, narrow gashes that bled freely of Blue Eyes' blackish red blood, the natural color of the Grimm Apes' blood._

_Caesar could not bring down the bear himself, even though he tried to attack it, only having his spear knocked out of his hand. Caesar shouted loudly for help, and the bear mistook his roars of pleading for trying to make himself sound bigger and stronger. In the end, Koba answered his calls and brought the bear down while it was distracted. However… Blue Eyes would not take the incident lightly. He felt ashamed for falling before a savage animal, and that he had the new scars to prove his failure. Caesar worried for his son's condition. The hunt resulted in the kills of the bear, a few elk slain by other members of the party, and Blue Eyes' dejected mood._

_Although, the day did not end without a greater reward. A reward that couldn't be more fulfilling for Caesar than ever. The colony's doctors told him of the new, just moments before it happened. Caesar rushed to the top of his house, sitting at the top of the village tree. Surrounded by other apes was his dearly beloved, his devoted mate, his cherished Cornelia. For months, Cornelia was blesses with their second child and had just now given birth. Not any different kind of joy could have been greater than what Caesar was feeling now. Even Blue Eyes forgotten of his shame upon meeting his baby brother. They would later name the boy Milo._

_And now was a good time for rest._

_Caesar sat at the top of the stairs leading up to his house, and gazed at the setting sun. The grey clouds opened to reveal the mixture of the red and gold colors that came with the ever fleeting moment. He couldn't be more thankful for the serenity he basked in, surrounding his very being. It was this very feeling of peace that he sought for, the goal of his people's freedom._

_While sitting there, he heard someone coming up the stairs. Caesar turned to see his close friend Maurice, slowly climbing towards him. Caesar welcomed his companion's much valued presence. Maurice took his last step before taking his seat, just a couple steps were between the two friends. Maurice looked to his friend and leader with happiness in his expression, already knowing of the good news._

Another son? _he asked in elation. Caesar smiled to Maurice as his answer._

Makes me think of how far we've come, Maurice, _Caesar signed with nostalgia, and pride for their colony. It was a feeling Maurice could agree with. The two looked towards the setting sun again, taking in the artful scenery. Just then, Maurice thought of a more… serious subject._

Seems long ago, _he signed. Caesar saw what he said, curious of what Maurice was going to conclude. Maurice turned to face Caesar directly and asked,_ Still think about them?

_The question was a little surprising, and slightly vague. Caesar knew, however, what his advisor was referring to… or who he referred to. Nonetheless, it wouldn't hurt for some clarification._

Humans? _Caesar signed in question._

And Faunus, _Maurice added._

_The Humans and Faunus. It really has been a long time ago, since the apes had last saw them. About ten years, at least. The Humans and Faunus were previously the more evolved counterparts to the apes, and the sworn prey of the Creatures of the Grimm. Humans had looked down on apes as much as the Faunus, often using their name, 'ape,' as a derogatory term for some Faunus or the uneducated and unmannered. Although, both species have fought together against the Grimm. Caesar, Maurice, and their people were the amalgamation of both Ape and Grimm. One could imagine the kind of poor treatment they'd receive, if encountered by the Humans and Faunus._

_However, the Grimm Apes were much more than that now. A tight knit community of brothers and sisters in arms, they have evolved beyond their animalistic and demonic roots. They believed to have lived long past the Humans and Faunus now, only the Grimm and other animals were coexisting with them. They have proven themselves to be greater the formerly superior races, surpassing them in intelligence and achieving what they could not – peace. It was ironic, really… because it was the Humans and Faunus that made them this way. They molded the Grimm Apes into what they are now. It was because of this and their incompetence that they are gone now, with the Grimm Apes taking their place._

_Even with their supposed extinction though, Caesar couldn't help but think about them from time to time. After all, he arguably had the better experiences with both species, the Humans and Faunus, compared to any other ape in the colony._

… Sometimes, _Caesar earnestly answered Maurice. Maurice took a moment to comprehend the answer. He did expect that Caesar would say something a little more meaningful, knowing that Caesar knew about them more than he or any other ape ever did. Then again, he knew Caesar for giving short and concise answers._

Didn't know them like you did, _he admitted, catching Caesar's attention._ Only saw their bad sides.

Good, bad… doesn't matter now, _Caesar claimed, and continued to sign a thought-provoking opinion._ They thought they were different. I think they're the same.

_Caesar always thought that the Humans and Faunus were two sides of the same coin. He knew members from both races, having made deep or shallow bonds with them. Of course they were physically different – one would have to be blind to not tell the difference between those with animal features and those without such. But Caesar knew them from an unbiased viewpoint, he understood many of them; he loved many and he hated many, and not a single one of them was the same kind of person. Caesar did not consider them as different species, because there were good and bad on both sides, which he saw in person. Because of this, Caesar considered the racial bias that is between them as foolish. Such ignorance of their similarities was one reason why neither of them had evolved far enough to coexist alongside the apes._

They destroyed each other, _he concluded._

Apes fight too, _Maurice argued. The apes' community was not perfect, obviously. There would be some minor conflicts between individuals, arguments here and there._

But we are family, _Caesar pointed out, and Maurice conceded. There may be infighting, but in the grand scheme of it all, the colony was driven by the unbreakable bond and sense of family._

_Caesar and Maurice looked to the sunset again. The colors were fading out into a darker red as nighttime was starting to befall, but the beauty of the closing light was still there. At least a moment more would last for the two apes to gaze at in appreciation._

… Wonder if they're really gone, _Caesar signed wistfully, still focused on the topic. Seeing what he said, Maurice chose to relieve Caesar of those thoughts._

Ten winters now. Last two… no sign of them, _he informed Caesar._ They must be gone.

_Caesar looked his friend with a neutral expression, and turned back to the sunset again. Even if the facts were against any chance of survivors, Caesar couldn't possibly keep himself from being skeptical. Besides, the Humans and Faunus were stronger than letting themselves die out. Either way though, Caesar wouldn't know unless he saw them for himself again._

* * *

_Present day, after the encounter with Humans._

* * *

The conversation with Maurice was the first thing that came to Caesar's mind. It was the first thing he thought of since the encounter earlier. The more he thought about it, the more it became ironic, since everything he saw today disproved what Maurice said. The Human race was alive, that much was Caesar able to distinguish from the incident. It was incredibly surprising to him, seeing eight Humans found before him and the aped.

But Caesar also thought of questions. Millions of questions sprung up into his mind from the incident. Why were the Humans in the forest? Could they have been looking for something? What if the Faunus was alive too? If the Humans were still thriving, it would only make sense that they did too. Was there a Faunus hiding among those eight, one that was disguised so well that even Caesar couldn't see clearly? And the tools they carried… the weapons. Caesar saw the eight Humans manipulate them, transform them, shifting their sizes from larger to smaller weapons. Caesar didn't need to question why they had such weapons… he knew who they were.

Hunters of the Grimm. Caesar knew of the hunters of the same beasts his people originated from. He actually did not know one knew one personally, but he witnessed to their work.

There was one question, however, that Caesar thought of and considered the most important. How did the Humans manage to survive? Where were they the past ten years? What could they have possibly done to surpass death? With what he could tell from the eight Humans, they seemed to be in the same advanced technological state they were ten years ago. How did they not go back a quite few years, in terms of evolution? This was his most irksome concern, because… of what his kind had done to them. What they had done to the Humans and Faunus. Ever since the day his people left the place of their birth, the day they liberated themselves from those who oppressed and abused them… in short, it did not end well for the city they left behind.

Caesar sat on the porch of his house, as all of these thoughts ran through his head. Even with these continuous thoughts though, it was overwhelming for him at the moment. His concerns with the return of the Humans was a subject he has to think over, but there other things he must do, as leader of the colony. He can come back to it when Koba and his troupe come back. Standing up from the porch, Caesar went to do something rather important at the moment.

He had to check up on his nephew.

* * *

***CLINK***

Maurice put the tool on a slab of rock, surrounded by him and two of his older students. He was cautious with handling it, but he couldn't prevent the sound of metal hitting rock. The tool was mainly red in color, with sections of black. This tool in particular was important, because it was something the Humans had hastily left behind. The girl who was clad in the same shade of red had this tool. Maurice saw her drop it and as her friends pulled her away from it, she wailed loudly like a depraved and troubled animal. Maurice earnestly felt sympathy for her, seemingly having to depart from a tool she felt connected too.

Maurice merely studied the compacted tool, gazing at it intently, along with his students. They were the same kind of Grimm Ape as him. There was about three kinds of apes among the colony, each one distinguished by their size and bone extensions, whether they had long thorns, thick plates, or both. Even though they knew that the Grimm was defined by actual titles, the apes didn't really have a name for the three types. They didn't really need them, they were all merely apes; they felt that there was no need to divide themselves with labels.

Maurice's two students were the same type of ape he was – they have the same number of thorns, six, growing from their backs, they were about the same size, and had the same long hair. But the main difference was that they were younger and inexperienced. Maurice was the overseer of and teacher to the colony, appointed by Caesar, for his wise and understanding nature. It was his job to teach the youths about the laws, norms, and customs of the colony. In the matter of understanding this tool, Maurice picked these two, from the advanced class, in helping him dissect this bizarre piece.

Maurice looked at it, picking it up a few times, but he couldn't really understand it yet. The other two weren't doing any better. They did not come with the party that met the humans, so they hadn't seen the girl in red use it. They couldn't make heads or tails of it, looking at all sides of the object with their dazed expressions. Maurice found their befuddlement a little amusing. The student to Maurice's right, however, had enough of figuring it out for himself, deciding now was the appropriate time to ask for help.

 _What is it?_ He asked his teacher. Maurice thought a little before giving an answer.

 _Not sure._ Maurice earnestly signed, surprising his two students, who expected him to know at least everything, being their teacher and all.

 _Red Girl made it move._ Maurice added. His second student, to his left, looked confused by his teacher's statement.

 _Move how?_ He asked.

 _Transform,_ he answered, surprising the two young apes.

They glanced and held it a few more times, not finding any clue to understanding its inner workings. The first student almost felt that the entire thing was a waste of time, but the object was somewhat interesting. When he picked it up again, however, he did something to it.

Neither of the apes noticed there was a small button on one side of the tool. When the first student took hold of it in his grip, his finger accidentally clicked said button. In an instant, the tool shifted in the blink of an eye. Noises of metal scraping against itself came from the object. No longer was it shaped like a rectangle; it became long and thin, with a handle sprouting from the bottom of it, and had thick barrel piece. The three apes were surprised by the sudden change in the tool, bellowing with shocked pant-hoots. Some of the other apes watching this joined in expressing surprise.

However, Maurice became more shocked when he looked at the newly shaped object closer. With that barrel, handle, and even a scope, he instantly realized what it was – a gun. A weapon that he and Caesar both abhorred. He looked to his first student, both expressing intense disbelief, who was holding it the moment it shifted into a killing tool.

 _What did you do?_ Maurice asked him, wondering if he had something to do with it.

 _I don't know!_ The student confessed. He never even seen a gun before, adding on to his confusion.

The second student was amazed by the tool, having never seen a gun himself. He was astonished and in awe of the piece, but instinctually felt afraid of it. He looked at it intently, reaching out to wield it. He picked it up while Maurice and the first student bickered. The second brushed his hand over the heavy tool, feeling the smooth and edged metal. His hand moved to hold it from the handle but his finger tapped something. He looked to what his finger touched – it was a little sharp piece right in front of the handle. Unknowingly, he was touching the trigger, and unknowing to all of them, the gun was loaded.

The ape was more curious than ever when looking at this little piece. Unlike every piece on the tool, that was snugly pieced together, this piece was loose. Why did this beautiful tool have such a conspicuous flaw? The ape couldn't help but wonder. He used his finger to push on the little piece, pushing it towards the handle. Maurice looked to his second student and saw him fiddling with the gun. He was pulling onto the trigger, obviously not knowing what it will do. Maurice couldn't stop the student in time, even as he shouted in protest. The ape pulled the trigger all the way, and the gun fired.

The sound of the blast was unlike anything they had heard before, easily popping their ear drums, and the force of the shot pushed the ape forcefully to the ground and the gun flew out of his hands. What was worse, however, was that the bullet almost hit one of the apes. Luca, the colony's fourth in command and leader of the third type of apes, happened to be passing by when the second student pulled the trigger. The bullet whizzed by in front of his face, merely inches away from his nose, completely catching him off guard. The bullet instead it one of the huts, blowing a piece of wood apart into splinters.

The colony went wild from that single shot. Many of the apes hadn't heard a gun before, which added to the panic. Many of the apes were running amok, scared out of their minds and yelling shouting like their primitive counterparts. Luca, although he was still surprised, looked to see where the projectile originated from. He turned and saw Maurice with two of his students, the gun in front of them and smoking. Immediately angered and annoyed, Luca roared. His great bellow surprised the colony, taking the apes' minds off of the gunshot by utterly scaring them. Luca's temperament was not to be trifled with.

 _Watch it! Almost blow my head off!_ He angrily signed to Maurice and his students, glaring at them all the while.

 _Sorry!_ Maurice quickly signed back in apology. Partially satisfied, Luca grunted and went off to his business. The many other apes, while still shocked, continued to whatever they were previously doing as well. Maurice looked to his second student, who held his head low, completely ashamed of what he had done.

 _Don't touch that again._ Maurice signed to get his student's attention, referring to the gun. _It is called a gun. Guns are not for Apes_. The student understood, but now felt more ashamed, knowing what a gun can do and seeing it first-hand.

 _Yes Maurice_ , the second student apologized to his teacher, to which Maurice accepted with a nod. Maurice told them they did enough with reviewing the tool and the three disbanded, Maurice taking the gun with him.

Caesar saw everything as he climbed down the steps of the village tree. He was at least glad that Luca was able to calm down the colony with a single roar, but was troubled that the tool was being handled poorly. He'd have to talk to Maurice later on what happened, but for now, he continued with what he was going to do.

* * *

Caesar came up to a hut. It really looked like all the others, the entryway stood open with no door. This hut in particular was where his family members were, by honor and blood. Taking a breath in, Caesar slowly entered, hoping not to disturb anything. Inside the hut were four tenants, the one closest to him was Rocket and to his left was an ape who wore a garment over his mouth and nose, indicating the individual was a doctor, like Cornelia's midwives.

On a handmade table lied Ash, whose chest was rising up and down slowly, meaning he was taking deep breaths. Standing to Ash's right was Caesar's son, Blue Eyes. His gaze was downcast and his face slightly turned away from Caesar, making it that he couldn't see his current expression. However, Caesar didn't need to figure out that Blue Eyes was deeply shaken up by the incident.

When Caesar met Rocket, he saw him as a dominant figure. He was commanding, oppressive, and was self-centered. The two didn't see eye to eye at first but after some events involving forced persuasion, overtime, Rocket became an avid follower and a friend to Caesar. Caesar saw him as a strong and intelligent ape, one who truly deserved to be his second command.

So it was no wonder that Caesar found himself surprised to see Rocket so scared. Never had he seen his honorary brother, a strong-willed warrior, seem so vulnerable before. The reason for it was obvious, his son being hurt after all, but his reaction was nonetheless shocking.

Caesar felt sympathetic towards him. Caesar approached Rocket cautiously, intending not to disturb him. The ape doctor left to give the four apes privacy. Rocket looked up to Caesar with tired, sullen eyes.

 _How is he?_ Caesar asked his compatriot. Rocket sighed heavily before answering.

 _Shoulder only scratched. Shaken up_ , Rocket admitted. The news was honestly good to hear, since it was nothing too serious or life threatening. However, it was still enough to stir Rocket's parental instincts for his son. _He is fine right now_ , Rocket added, showing some relief towards the matter.

Caesar nodded in understanding, and moved closer to Ash, wanting to see him. Caesar could see where the bullet had hit him. The bullet struck Ash in his left shoulder, going into the flesh that was just barely under his bony shoulder plate. However, the bullet seemed to have deflected off of the plate, since no bullet was visibly lodged in his shoulder. Instead, Ash was left with a scarred groove in his shoulder, covered in dry blood. Ash cautiously looked up to see his honorary uncle and king approach him. Seeing the father of his close friend always made Ash feel a little special inside.

 _Uncle Caesar…_ He signed in admiration, reaching his left hand out to Caesar. Ash put in some effort to reach with that hand cautiously, since it was the arm on the side of his wound, thus making it a little weak. Caesar took Ash's hand into his own, and looked down onto him with a warm smile.

 _How are you, Ash?_ Caesar asked his honorary nephew. Ash took a moment to think of what to really say. He basically survived an attempt on his life by sheer luck. What could he honestly say about how he felt? In the end, Ash opted to give a concise answer.

_… I'm alive._

Surprisingly, his comment managed to earn a chuckle from Caesar himself. The stoic leader doesn't really show this side of himself often, only his friends and family ever getting the pleasure of seeing such.

 _Of course you are_ , Caesar told his nephew, his smile having widened.

While he and Ash shared the family-like moment, Blue Eyes' mood hadn't turned better yet. Not even by a hair. Instead, he couldn't help but think of shame, guilt, and weakness. He even felt more ashamed of himself than the incident with the bear. He was even getting over the accident, no less, and he wouldn't have were it not for Ash. Blue Eyes couldn't have had a more cherished relationship than with Ash. They were the same age, same type of ape, and both were respected and valued among the colony. There was no more reason than that for Blue Eyes to fear for Ash's life.

The reason he felt ashamed, however, was because he failed to protect themselves. They were enjoying each other's company when they encountered the first two of the human group. One had associated herself with the color of yellow, the other had the color black. Both had pulled weapons out to threaten them; both apes were taken aback but for some reason, Blue Eyes almost felt powerless at that moment. Upon instinct, he started snarling at them. It seemed to work at first surprisingly, as the girl in black seemed to quiver in fear at his snarling. But instead of running away… she shot Ash. She shot him without giving Blue Eyes the chance to blink even.

Why did that happen? Why did she not fear his intimidation? Why did Ash have to get hurt?! Why did he fail?! All these questions ran through Blue Eyes' mind like a river flowing at high currents. Thoughts of doubt and fear came along with these questions, and he felt so much disappointment from this that he considered it to be such a devastating failure, he almost couldn't see himself as an ape. Blue Eyes felt even more ashamed as he kept thinking about it right now.

Caesar took a moment to glance at his son and immediately saw the his dilemma, the youth's expression wrought with pain. Instantly concerned, his smile towards Ash disappeared into a frown towards Blue Eyes. Caesar emitted a quick hoot to gain his son's attention. Surprised, Blue Eyes hastily looked up to see the worried gazes from Ash, Rocket, and his father. Caesar looked the most worried. Blue Eyes blinked a couple times, before he decided to address what was bothering him.

 _Father… I should have stopped this…_ he signed in distress. Caesar understood what was going through Blue Eyes' head. He was completely worried for his friend's well-being, a feeling Caesar understood better than anyone. However, what he was going to tell his son was likely not something Blue Eyes would not want to hear.

 _No._ The simple, two-letter word that was ever so powerful to come from his father, earnestly shocked Blue Eyes. He didn't understand what his father was trying to say.

 _It wouldn't have ended any better_ , Caesar continued. Unfortunately, as Caesar thought, Blue Eyes became distraught with his father's words. His expression wrought deeper with shame and misunderstanding, Blue Eye hastily made his way out of Rocket's hut. Caesar sighed heavily but turned back to Ash.

 _Get some rest, Ash_ , Caesar advised to him, and made for his way out.

 _Yes Uncle_ , Ash complied.

Caesar stepped up to Rocket to say his goodbyes for now. _Take care, Rocket_ , he told him.

 _Caesar_ , Rocket addressed him and he paused, waiting for what else Rocket was going to say.

 _Thank you for stopping me_ , his claim of gratitude slightly surprised Caesar. _Would have been hurt if I attacked humans. You knew better than me._ Caesar took a moment to think of what to say, how to reply to his friend.

 _Just be careful Rocket_ , Caesar told him. _Can get hurt when angry._ Rocket understood what he advised by giving his leader a nod, and Caesar made his way to leave, but Rocket again paused him from going.

 _Caesar… the human who shot Ash…_ Caesar's interest then peaked in what Rocket was trying to say, and was curious of why Rocket sounded reluctant all of a sudden.

 _… She is Faunus_ , he finished. Caesar's eyes widened in surprise at the claim. He thought that the chances of the Faunus were still alive, alongside the Humans, was very likely. It was surprising because he didn't see a single Human with animal traits among the eight they saw. Perhaps one really was hiding in disguise, but how could Rocket tell if he couldn't?

 _Are you sure?_ Caesar asked him.

 _Not sure_ , Rocket admitted, indicating why he was reluctant to bring this up. _But she had something on her head. I saw it twitch a lot_ , he claimed in his defense.

It would be interesting if Rocket was right, but Caesar couldn't be sure of this at the moment. He would have to take some time to consider everything at the moment. Caesar thanked Rocket for letting him visit Ash and left, heading back towards his house at the top of the village tree.

* * *

Caesar climbed up the stairs to his house, and entered. He closed his eyes and sighed in relief, being able to rest for the time being. He opened them, and sitting on the floor before him, he saw his beloved wife, Cornelia. In her arms, she was holding their sleeping baby son, Milo. She looked to him with a loving grin, to which he returned with his own. He walked towards and sat next to her.

 _Have you seen Blue Eyes?_ He asked. Cornelia shook her head.

 _Haven't seen him since he went to Rocket's home_ , she stated. Caesar sighed, now slightly worried as to where Blue Eyes had run off to.

 _Are the Humans really alive?_ She suddenly asked him, catching him by surprise. Caesar realized that he hadn't really told her about the encounter with the eight Humans. She must have heard from another ape.

 _Yes_ , he answered honestly. _Faunus might be alive too._ Cornelia gasped slightly to hear it confirmed by her husband. She blinked a few times, and her expression then turned to that of worry. Caesar raised a brow in the change in her mood.

 _Caesar… if Humans come back, what will happen to Apes?_ She asked him out of the blue. Caesar was caught off by her hypothetical question.

What would happen if the Humans came back? Would they be the same eight he encountered, of different ones? Caesar wouldn't know what would happen. All Humans and Faunus were different from each other as individuals; they are unpredictable. Caesar would never know if something good or bad would come from Humans returning to the colony. That was something he didn't want to risk right now.

 _I don't know_ , Caesar told his wife. Cornelia motioned her hands to sign something, but Caesar continued. _But if Humans attack Apes, I will stop them. I will protect Apes. Protect us._

Cornelia looked to him in awe, the confidence in his words were very much convincing. She gave him another warm smile and signed, _I know you will._

Cornelia and Caesar pressed their foreheads together, a common thing the couple done to signify their devotion to each other. The bond between the King and Queen of the Grimm Apes was very strong, their love having been created from the first day they met. Even if the world burned around them, Caesar and Cornelia could rely on each other. The funny thing about that was they were afraid of that actually happening.

* * *

_Two hours later, 6:13 PM_

* * *

The sun began to set at this hour, lowering ever so slowly to the horizon. The bright yellow and red colors that formed from the dying light were reminiscent of the event of sunrise at dawn, earlier this day. As the evening was coming, a lone bullhead flew through the clouds. Its sleek metal hull was reflecting the colors of the setting sun. Though it was still so high in the air, the bullhead was close to its destination – the docks at Beacon academy. As the pilots saw the docks in view, they started to slow down their vehicle. The engines turned and shifted so that the vehicle was hovering in place, and the bullhead then lowered itself closer to the ground. The vehicle's bottom safely contacted with the landing platform. The bullhead's side doors opened and a ramp emerged, connecting to the ground. The vehicle's passengers were about to make their leave.

But they did not simply walk. They did not have order, grace, nor humility when they left their transport. As soon as that ramp touched the ground, they ran. Eight student Huntsmen and Huntress ran instantaneously. They ran off the ramp, they ran across the main avenue, they ran towards their academy; they ran, ran, and ran! Not a single passerby was undeterred by their tactless stampede. Once they got to the front gate, one could tell they were impatient to get to the other side. Once the gate opened, they hastily entered, and it would be assumed that they continued their race once the gate closed behind them.

Perhaps those who were most baffled by the students' spectacle were the bullhead's pilots, Robin and Thomas. Over the course of their return flight, the co-pilots couldn't hear much from them other than distress and chaos. They were unsettled by something, unnerved by their three-day stay on dark continent of "West Dragon." Then, once they seemed to calmed down, the pilots heard some sort of discussion among them. The engine noise of their bullhead was too loud for them to hear their conversation. As they were reaching the landing port, the students were just quiet, waiting to return. Now, they saw them run the moment the ramp opened up, instantly running for their school. It truly confused the pilots, why the students were acting as such.

"… Those kids are weird." Thomas proclaimed.

"… Ditto." Was all Robin said in agreement.

They wouldn't know for the life of them why the students were so eager to leave. It was their loss; They wouldn't know yet of the greatest discovery on Remnant, made by teams RWBY and JNPR.

However, neither groups would notice the three dark figures that jumped off the top of the bullhead.

* * *

Professor Glynda Goodwitch and Headmaster Ozpin were waiting in the latter's office, atop Beacon Tower. Glynda was organizing a stack of papers, while Ozpin simply drank from his coffee mug. They waited for the two teams returning from West Dragon. Though the both of them were experienced people, they couldn't help but wonder, what would teams RWBY and JNPR find on that continent? None of the previous explorers ever returned, so nothing was really known about the wild land and everything was only left up to speculation.

It didn't seem they would be left unknowing for long, though. A chime came from the elevator and its doors opened. Rushing out of the cramped contraption were both the students, successfully returning from their mission. Both Goodwitch and Ozpin turned their attention to them.

"Splendid, you all made it back." Glynda observed, satisfied that the students had arrived on time. "I hope the mission went… are you eight alright?"

The two professors realized that the students were exhausted. They were hunched over and had their hands over their knees, all of them were breathing and sweating heavily. Some had their heads up while staring aimlessly at the ceiling, perhaps in a futile attempt to get a better chance at catching their breath.

"We're! … Fine!" Ruby spoke up for the group, taking shaky breaths between each word. "… Just… exhausted!"

"Yeah! … We just! … Ran all the way up here! … No biggie!" Jaune added, in the same condition as Ruby.

Glynda and Ozpin looked to each other in concern and puzzlement, neither of them knowing why they rushed all the way to the tower. They weren't going to be late, if that was what they believed.

"… Very well then," said Glynda. "If you prefer, we can discuss your findings after you all catch your breath – "

"Professors…!" Ruby interrupted Glynda's offer for them to relax. "… There's something… we have to tell you…"

Though he was unsure if she could make a report in her condition, Ozpin's interest peaked in the girl's information. "Is it about the Dust?" He asked.

"No… more important… it's about the Grimm…" She revealed.

Goodwitch and Ozpin once again took a moment to glance at each other, out of confusion and intrigue. "… Please inform us, Ms. Rose." The headmaster requested.

* * *

In a span of a couple minutes or more, the students told them everything. Everything they saw, everything they heard, everything they witnessed today. Everything they knew so far about the strange Grimm. As the students finished their explanations, Ozpin looked to them with an unchanged, neutral expression. However, his eyes were slightly wide, expressing some shock towards this discovery that the students made. Glynda, on the other hand, kept a stern and questioning look throughout their story.

"So you mean to tell us," she began, "that the Grimm horde in 'West Dragon,' just so happens to be an army of Grimm that resemble apes?"

"Yes, Professor," Ruby confirmed. "There was about 80 of them, I think."

"That can hunt, like primitives," stated Glynda, recalling the particular detail.

"Yes," said Jaune.

"… And can talk… like us," the strict professor stated, wanting to clarify if that was exactly what the students said.

"… Yes," Ruby confirmed. With their strange report submitted, now came the hardest part for the students: whether the professors believed them or not.

"… Of all the harebrained excuses," was all Glynda said, to the students' surprise.

"Professor, we're telling the truth!" Pyrrha proclaimed, wanting to defend their honesty.

"Need I remind all of you that the Grimm are soulless creatures that intend on wiping out humanity and civilization?" Glynda asked them.

"We are well aware of that Professor, but–!" Weiss attempted to answer, before Professor Goodwitch interrupted.

"The keyword being soulless, mind you," she continued. "If a Grimm has no soul, having no sense of compassion or sentience, then how is it that one specific Grimm is capable of mercy, let alone speech?"

"… We don't know," Ruby confessed, only adding on to Glynda's skepticism.

"But we saw them with our own eyes!" shouted Blake.

"Now I don't know what any of you thought you saw," said Glynda in response, "or what influenced you to–"

"Thought?!" Blake interrupted, once again shouting. "And you think we were under influence?! How asinine can you get?!" To the students' surprise, Blake acted uncharacteristically, showing signs of impatience and frustration.

However, Glynda was not phased in the least, narrowing her eyes at the unusually outspoken girl. "Watch your tone with me, young lady," she warned.

"I'll say whatever I want, however I–!"

"Ms. Belladonna!" Ozpin's sudden interruption caught everyone by surprise, especially Blake. It was times like these that everyone forgotten the power he had, in his position. "… I suggest you tone down your attitude. You're not helping your situation by being so raucous," the Headmaster advised.

Blake did not give much of a response other than staring at him, until her gaze lowered to the ground in guilt, and she took step back.

"… Now, I want to review everything that was said," Ozpin continued. "You all stated that they were the Grimm's variations of apes, correct?"

"… Yes professor," said Ruby in confirmation. "But there's a little more to that."

"How so?" He asked of them.

"They were more like actual apes than Grimm," Ren interjected. "The only similarities they had was black fur and skin. They had little bone armor covering them, some white coloration where armor should have been, and their eyes were… human."

"'Human?'" Ozpin asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion towards what Ren meant.

"I mean that physically, professor," he clarified. "Sclera, iris, and pupil." The description of these Grimm was certainly concerning, but hearing what their eyes were like was made it much more alarming. Glynda was starting to be troubled by the matter, as her eyes widened slightly and blinking a few times.

"I see. That certainly isn't the description of a Grimm's natural eye." Despite such information, Ozpin remained nonchalant as ever. Surprised, Glynda questioned what the Headmaster was thinking.

"Ozpin, are you actually believing this–?"

"I haven't said anything as such Glynda," he claimed immediately. "I only want to know everything the students experienced. Now, what types of Grimm were they?" The students looked at him oddly, due to his question.

"Professor?" Ruby asked for clarification; they already explained that the Grimm they discovered resembled apes.

"I'm not referring to their animal counterparts, I mean their actual title as Grimm," said Ozpin, justifying his question's meaning. "Such as how the wolf's Grimm counterpart is the Beowolf or, in this case, the gorilla to the Beringel."

Having a better understanding, Ruby felt that she could answer the question to the best of her knowledge. "… I… think a Beringel or two might have been there but… I don't know the others," she stated.

"Alright then," the Headmaster said, satisfied. "I am asking because aside from the Beringel, there are no other Grimm variations of apes."

His sudden revelation shocked the students. It wasn't the actual information he gave that was a surprise, but it was what he was implying that caught them off guard. The Beringel was a Grimm that resembled a Gorilla, but the only Grimm that resembled an ape. There was no Grimm Chimpanzee, no Grimm Orangutan, not even a Grimm Gibbon (a lesser ape)! If the Beringel was the only variation of apes among the Grimm, then it would mean that any other Grimm Ape was not discovered, or did not exist. To the students, they felt that the Headmaster implied that the latter was the truth.

"But… but we still saw them!" Yang spoke out. "There were, like, a whole bunch of different Grimm monkeys!"

"Apes," Ren corrected, only earning a wide-eyed glower from the blonde brawler.

"Whatever!" She shouted in frustration.

"Putting the correct terms aside," Ozpin spoke again, "I want to get to the most important factor of these Grimm Apes – their capabilities of speech. What did they say?"

The students looked to each other, remembering the exact moment they heard the Grimm Apes speak.

_"GOOOOOO~!"_

That moment was the greatest shock that ever came to the students. Nothing else could possibly affect them like that. The significance of a Grimm capable of speech was damaging to everything they knew about the Grimm, because it meant that they could be capable of so much more. However, whether it would be for better or worse, they're not really sure. Since Ozpin was waiting for his question to be answered, Ruby decided to speak up.

"They… I mean… _he_ told us to go." She proclaimed. Both Ozpin and Goodwitch picked up the word "he" in her answer. The two professors looked to each other in puzzlement. There was someone involved in this? Was this someone…?

Hoping that Ruby didn't mean what he thought she meant, he pushed for clarification. "'He?' Who's 'he?'" the Headmaster asked of her.

"That's what we're trying to tell you, professors," Ruby explained, apparently getting to a point she wanted to convey. "They were organized, they were really smart, and they had a leader. And he was just so… remarkable."

It was strange, even to Ozpin, to hear a compliment being given to a Grimm, especially from someone like Ruby Rose. Unfortunately for her, Ruby seemed to be the only one to have such an opinion.

""WHAT?!"" The students suddenly gawked at Ruby, completely in a stupor that one of the team leaders was giving a commendation to a Grimm, of all things.

"Remarkable?! That's what you have to say?!" Weiss shouted incredulously at her partner.

"Why would you praise them at a time like this?!" Blake questioned angrily at her leader, once again being unlike herself.

"I'm not praising him! I'm just saying what I saw!" Ruby claimed, in attempt to defend herself.

The students soon devolved into heated argument, shouting and blasting at each other on whether it was acceptable to think of a Grimm in such a way, no matter how much on-point Ruby's statement was. Ozpin looked towards arguing students tired exasperation, while Glynda was deeply annoyed the students' fickleness. Her eyes twitched and a blood vessel could be seen, visibly pulsing on her head.

"You can't just say a Grimm is remarkable!" Weiss accused.

"Why not?!" Ruby questioned.

"It… it just… it doesn't make sense!"

"Well I don't know what else to say!"

"ENOUGH!"

Goodwitch's deafening bellow caused the room to go completely silent. The students were reminded not to test the patience of their infamous professor. Even Ozpin was startled by his associate's wrath. Glynda took a long moment to glower at her students, until she closed her eyed and a deep breath, in and out, to calm herself.

"… Headmaster," she addressed Ozpin, her volume lowered back to normal. "I think enough has been said on the matter."

"… Perhaps you're right, Glynda," Ozpin concurred, to the surprise of the students. They had much more to tell them, they can't leave now!

"Teams RWBY and JNPR, before you leave know this: none of you are to reveal this information to anyone outside of this office." He requested. The students were further shocked by his order of silence.

"Professor, you can't be serious–!" Weiss attempted to reason with the Headmaster.

"I most certainly am," he interrupted, adamant in his decision. "It is much more preferable if a panic does not ensue. You are all dismissed."

The students looked to each other in worry. They had more information to give, they really did. But even so, they had to follow his commands. After all, it was his academy; In this establishment, his word is law.

The students moved to the elevator and made their leave, disheartened. They had the weight of unspoken information to bear, and they could not do much about it. As the elevator took them down, the professors couldn't get their minds on anything else. Despite skepticism, the concept of intelligent, talking Grimm was rather troublesome.

* * *

The elevator reached to the ground floor, and its doors shifted open. From the elevator, the student teams RWBY and JNPR emerged, dejected from their report with the professors, which had resulted poorly. They exited the tower building, and started heading for their dorm. All of them had different expressions towards the matter.

Ruby was sullen, having pushed down her distress over losing her weapon, Crescent Rose, so that she could explain the situation properly to her professors. Now that she done so, her emotional heartache crept up on her.

Weiss was frustrated, pinching the bridge of her nose between fingers. The least the professors could have done was try to absorb everything they tried to tell them, instead of questioning their information. Blake had an expression that was close to portraying anger, but it couldn't really be distinguished due to her visible fatigue. None of them really understood what made her so aggressive in the meeting… save for Yang.

Jaune was nervous, believing that the professors would consider the mission a failure on their record. Pyrrha was contemplating the situation, wondering how the proffers did not believe them. Ren merely tended to a downcast Nora, who was disheartened that the professors didn't believe a word they said.

Yang, while very much angry about how the professors did not take their report so well, couldn't help but notice everyone in such a sulk. It wasn't fair that they had to be dismissed like that, they were telling everything they saw and were as truthful as they could be, no matter how they were unbelieved. She didn't want them to feel so dejected like this, even if she felt the same.

"Well… that could have ended worse, am I right?" She asked in a cheerful tone, hoping to get herself and the others to see the bright side of their predicament. Her peers looked at her in exasperation.

"Oh, really? It could have been worse than our professors believing us to be liars?" Weiss asked sarcastically.

"Or that we found a really dangerous group of Grimm?" Jaune added.

"Or that I lost my Crescent Rose?" Ruby also added, emitting a sad sniffle.

"… Sorry," Yang amended half-heartedly, seeing her attempt to bring up the mood was a failure.

"It's surprising that we made it out alive." Pyrrha stated, turning the conversation back to the Grimm they had encountered.

"It's not just surprising, it's baffling!" Weiss proclaimed. "How was it that not a single one of them intended to consume us?!" It was a good question, as none of the Grimm Apes acted in any way similar to a normal Grimm.

"Well… what if they let us go?" Jaune proposed his theory. "So they could follow us and find out where we live?"

"Ugh, that's creepy just to think about," said Nora.

"I'm not sure why they would go that far," Ren speculated, assuring Nora that the outcome was unlikely.

"Who knows? A Grimm would do anything to get their jaws on human flesh," Weiss stated, the fact of the Grimm's insatiable hunger was irrefutable.

"They… seemed so unlike a Grimm, though," said Ruby, reminding everyone that they were not dealing with normal Grimm.

"Well, they're smart. What if they were acting?" suggested Yang. "They could be gentle one second… and then instantly go _ape_ on us!"

Instantaneously, everyone groaned at another of Yangs unbearable puns. Oddly enough, Blake seemed to be the most upset over the pun, as she let out a low growl after Yang mad the pun. Everyone was surprised by Blake's partially feral action.

"… Too soon?" Yang asked innocently.

"Yes, it was VERY too soon!" yelled Blake. She then pushed her way through the group, rudely bumped her shoulder in Yang's, and walked fast enough to leave everyone else far behind. Everyone looked at the dark girl in a stupor.

"Blake?" Yang said her partner's name but it was to no avail, as the normally quiet girl was long gone.

"What got into her?" asked Nora.

"I… don't know…" was all Ruby could say for an answer.

Yang was the only one who somewhat knew what was bothering Blake. Before their encounter with the first two Grimm, Blake revealed that she was still upset over Roman Torchwick and the White Fang. Yang wanted to convince Blake that she was pushing herself, but the coincidence of meeting the Grimm interfered. She wasn't sure whether to the others about what she knew. How would Blake react if she found out Yang talked behind her back? For the moment, Yang could only wait for the right moment to discuss her partner's troubles with the team.

As much as the others wanted to ponder on why Blake was in such horrible mood, Weiss remembered another shell shocking discovery on the island.

"Wait a minute… oh, dammit! Ruby, we forgot!" She claimed. Ruby, along with everyone else, was confused when the heiress made such a declaration.

"Huh? About what?" Ruby asked her partner.

"The Dust!" Weiss informed, to the shock of everyone present.

"The Dust–?! OH GOSH WE FORGOT!" with a gasp and her mouth hanging open in shock, Ruby remembered what Weiss was referring too, which was apparently Dust. The others were still puzzled. They remembered that the mission was intended to find Dust, but all they found were the Elk and the Grimm, if they recalled.

"What? We didn't find any Dust," said Jaune.

"Of course _you_ didn't," Weiss remarked at him, "but we did!"

""WHAT?!"" And just like that, the five of them were just as shocked as Ruby was, when she remembered. So, by technicality, they completed the mission after all.

"You two found Dust?!" Yang incredulously asked her teammates.

"You sure bet we did!" Ruby proudly confirmed.

"Why didn't you tell the professors?!" Jaune tactlessly demanded and both Ruby and Weiss realized their fault, upon the leader of JNPR mentioning it.

"We… might've forgot, after the Grimm. Eh-heh… sorry." Ruby said as her excuse. Now to be fair, everyone was completely blindsided by the talking Grimm they encountered. Who wouldn't be distracted by such an incredible and inconceivable confrontation?

"Wait… does this mean you guys won the bet?!" Nora asked. The others were then further surprised, remembering the friendly and expensive competition they made between the teams.

"Well… not that it really matters but–!" Weiss attempted to confirm such, but was interrupted by the following, ludicrous statement made by none other than Nora.

"NO~! MY PANCAKE FARMS! MY DREAMS ARE SHATTERED~!"

…

Everyone gawked at the short, orange haired girl, who shouted such an odd thing, and preceded to fall to her knees and wail and sob in despair. She did it in such an exaggerated and extreme manner, it was almost like she was a cartoon character. Then again, none of them would expect any less from her.

After a moment of staring at the hammer-wielder, Ren sighed in exasperation. "… I'll help her calm down," he stated, and knelt down to her level to give his aid.

"… Well, back to the matter at hand," said Pyrrha, fortunately turning the conversation back to what was important. "Where did you find a Dust mine?"

Upon hearing the champion's implication that they found a Dust mine, Ruby's and Weiss' eyes widened in realization. It would be natural that they believed them to have found a mine, as Dust normally formed underground, and had to be dug up from the earth. However, though the partners did find Dust, it certainly wasn't found in a Dust mine.

"Oh, well… it wasn't a mine we found, per say…" Weiss admitted, nervous of how they would react. Everyone looked at them in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Yang asked.

"Well… um… you see…" Weiss attempted to explain.

"Uh… we didn't find a Dust mine…" Ruby finished for her partner.

"So you found just the material itself?" Pyrrha asked to clarify.

"Yes… in large quantities… and sizes." Weiss confirmed, being somewhat misleading.

"God, would one of you just spit it out!" Yang demanded. Realizing that they couldn't hide what they needed to tell them, Ruby mustered enough volume to say what they found.

"… We… we're pretty sure we found… Dust Spires," she sheepishly proclaimed.

""EH~~?!"" And each of them made a noise expressing their surprise to the information. All of them except for Jaune.

"Dust Spires?" he repeated in question, apparently being the only one to have never heard of such.

"As in the ones told only in legend?!" Pyrrha asked of Ruby and Weiss.

"Yeah, those are it," Ruby confirmed.

"You can't be serious!" Ren incredulously asked. Even he was amazed by such a claim.

"We most certainly are," Weiss proclaimed. "We even touched them, up close!"

"Holy crap, this is big! Literally!" Yang stated, telling an unintentional pun. However, Jaune was still not understanding what they were talking about.

"What's a Dust Spire?!" He demanded, catching everyone's surprise.

"Oh, uh… well, Jaune," Pyrrha started to explain the Dust Spires to him. "To put it simply… imagine a typical shard of Dust."

"A-alright." Jaune complied, but unsure of what she was getting at.

"Which grows from the ground, like a plant, instead of forming in a mine," Pyrrha continued.

"Okay."

"And it just so happens… to be higher than, or as high as, a skyscraper."

"…"

"…"

Everyone looked at Jaune as his eyes widened, his pupils drastically dilating, a few drops of sweat rolling down his temple, and his jaw going slack and hanging open.

"… I think my mind just blew up," was all he managed to say after a moment of silence.

"So Dust Spires are real?! That's awesome!" Nora proclaimed.

"Let's get back to Ozpin's office! We have to tell him this!" said Yang hastily, and she started to head back to Beacon Tower. That is, she was until Weiss, of all people, stopped her from going by grabbing her arm.

"Actually… we can't," she stated, her words being a shock to everyone, especially Yang.

"What?" Ruby asked, puzzled by Weiss' decision to stay silent.

"Why not?!" Yang demanded, pulling her arm out of Weiss' grip.

"They're not going to believe us," the heiress claimed.

"Oh that's bull crap!" Yang countered, not believing her teammate's statement. "This whole thing was meant for us to get Dust–!"

"But not the Dust Spires," Weiss interrupted, catching Yang off guard.

"What?" the brawler asked.

"Yang, the Dust Spires are believed to be a myth," Weiss informed her, which was true. "If they don't believe us that those Grimm apes exist, then what hope do we have of convincing them about the Spires?"

Yang and the others looked at Weiss and each other as the facts settled into their minds. Even if that the Dust Spires were known among the public, much unlike the intelligent Grimm Apes, but they were considered to exist only fairy tales. Like the Grimm Apes, they would perceived by the public to be in the same category – fantasy.

"That's a good point, unfortunately," Ren sadly admitted.

"Then what should we do?" Yang asked, trying to look for a silver-lining.

"… I suppose the most we can do is forget about it," Weiss suggested, to everyone's surprise.

"Weiss, are you sure about that?" Pyrrha asked the heiress.

"In these conditions, then perhaps so," Weiss assured her, but did not seem completely convinced that she was going the right path.

"But, what about your dad?" Ruby asked her partner. "He won't like it if we have no Dust, will he?"

Hearing Ruby mention her father, Weiss donned a nervous expression. They remembered that the entire mission may not have been conceived, were it not his idea. However, he wanted this mission because he wanted more Dust to come out of it. If he were to learn that no Dust was reported on the continent, would he take it out on Weiss, the heiress of his company? Even tough thoughts like these and others were rushing through her mind, Weiss pushed them down with a deep breath, and made her response.

"I'll have to cross that bridge when I get there." And like that, she ended the conversation. Weiss moved past the others, walking down the campus street and heading for their dorms. As she was doing such, the members of team JNPR looked to each other for a decision.

"It may be best to just leave 'West Dragon' alone, for now," Pyrrha suggested, and Jaune seemed to agree.

"Yeah, it's not worth it with those Grimm there," he said.

With their decision to forget West Dragon for now, team JNPR also started heading for their dorm. Ruby and Yang were the last two left on the spot where they held their conversation. Ruby looked to her older sister with a worried expression, looking for some kind of response that could change the current position on the mission. However, Yang only shared the same expression as her sister, shrugged, and started walking for her dorm. Anxiously looking on at the group leaving, Ruby sighed, and moved to catch up with them. Whether it was the right move to put all of this behind them, she was not sure.

* * *

Blake kept moving, and she was still angry. When she entered through one of the school buildings, she was emanating fury from her own aura. Those who passed by her could sense her mood from a mile away, and stood clear from her path.

Blake was unsettled from the day she saw Roman Torchwick ordering members of the White Fang. No matter how she much she would wrap her head around it, she couldn't find any logical reason for it. She knew many members all too well, and of them she knew those who would never give their allegiance to a human… especially Adam. Her old partner, someone who she thought she knew, who had changed in every aspect expect physical. She used to see him as a revolutionary, but over time, he became a beast in her eyes.

Adam especially wouldn't align himself with a human, even of Torchwick's status. Did he know anything about it? Did he allow Torchwick to act like their boss? What was going on without her? Blake wanted to know everything there was to this situation. She feared that something awful was going to happen. However, the mission to West Dragon interfered. Now was not the time for finding Dust, in that continent of all places. She was completely scared that if they were gone from Vale, something was bound to happen. And they wouldn't be able to stop it in time. And she would still know nothing.

But even if the mission was a waste of time, there was still something that really stood out to her, something that disturbed her enough to almost forget the White Fang. Nothing that she could ever been prepared for in her entire life. The experience was traumatic, feeling akin to a curse; she could remember every single detail vividly, though she desired to forget all of it. She remembered the encounter with the Grimm Apes.

Blake could never have believed that such strange Grimm existed. None of them looked normal, having no skull masks and human like eyes. None of them acted normal either; not a single one of those Grimm lunged at them. None of them wanted to consume her or her friends. Their leader, however, was most memorable. A figure who radiated a sense of authority, nobility, and power – the makings of a true leader. As much as she hated to admit it, Ruby was right. The Grimm leader was remarkable, but that's what was wrong with it! Why was a Grimm so charismatic, so influential, so… human?! It didn't make sense!

However, none of it was comparable to the worst part of the encounter. The one moment that made her sick to her stomach…

As the memories of the incident were coming back to her, she thought she heard something. Something similar to a hoot, or a pant… or both. Blake stopped and swung her head left & right, trying to find its source, but found nothing. Though confused, Blake started to move forward, but came to came to sudden halt, and gazed at the sight before her with wide eyes.

No longer in a hallway of the school building, she was in the middle of a house. It appeared to be a log cabin, as evidenced by the wooden logs stacked together, forming the walls and ceilings. Strangely, she saw no color aside from black, white, and grays. She looked at her own hands and saw only black and white. What was going on? Was her fatigue starting to affect her, and she was having an illusion?

Suddenly, Blake heard snarling. It had a very familiar tone, to her fright. Blake swiftly turned around, gasping at what she saw. It was the first two Grimm she and Yang had encountered – the one with the blue eyes, and the other with the gray-speckled skin. The former was holding the latter in its arms. They too were black and white, but the grey-speckled Grimm had a splash of another color on its right shoulder: red. It symbolized blood. This was the exact position the two Grimm were in, merely seconds after Blake shot one of them. This time, however, the blue eyed Grimm was not calling for help, it was snarling, before she shot the Grimm.

Blake was horrified at what she was seeing and hearing. Her eyes and mouth were widening further with each passing moment of the Grimm snarling. It was getting louder, scaring her even more. Just when she thought it couldn't get worse, the Grimm's voice suddenly became distorted. The sound of its snarls became more demonic, rocking Blake to her very core. It was still getting louder as well, and was snarling faster and each snarl was getting longer too. Right at the moment she couldn't take it anymore, Blake bent over, held her hands over her (human) ears, and screamed.

In an instant, the snarling stopped. Once she realized it had, she felt a moment of surprise at first, but was immediately relieved and sighed, content that the hallucination stopped. When she rose up, however, another shock came to her. About ten or more students were gawking at her, having witnessed her sudden breakdown. She found herself feeling utterly small under their gazes. Embarrassed and baffled, Blake quickly ran past the group, even activating her semblance, creating clones to push herself farther away from them.

When she was a good distance away, she took a sharp right, and hid behind wall. She put her back immediately against the wall, her chest heaving with shallow, shaky breaths. Blake tried to catch her breath. She raised her hand to wipe her forehead, which was soaked in a nervous sweat. Then, she heard footsteps and voices coming her way. Not wanting to be caught, she tried to hold her breath. Having trouble, she held her hand over her mouth and nose. As the students came by, she heard what they were saying.

"What the heck was up with that chick?"

"Who knows? Was she even a student here?"

"Maybe, but she must've been a first year."

"She probably felt that she was in over her head."

The students passed by, leaving Blake unnoticed. She removed her hand from her mouth, and started to control her breathing better. Then, out of exhaustion, she slid down the wall and fell to the ground. The entire vision was horrifying. However, it did not occur without meaning. As much as it was influenced by the Grimm, it was only half of the memory of her shooting the Grimm. The other memory, she remembered just as clearly.

The log they were in? She was in it before. The black and white colors? She saw them before. The corner where the two Grimm were? She saw two people there before. She remembered this memory the moment the Grimm snarled at her.

* * *

_As Blake pointed her Gambol Shroud in pistol form at the Grimm, they suddenly stepped back in fear. It was a confusing action for a Grimm to do, but she kept her focus on them._

_"H-hey… it's alright… d-don't be scared," she heard Yang say. Her partner's words only managed to make the blue eyed Grimm look angry. Blake looked at Yang in skepticism, unsure of why she was even attempting to communicate with Grimm in the first place. Yang only had an expression of unsureness in response to Blake. Then, they heard the snarling._

_Blake turned to see the blue eyed Grimm snarling at them. It was trying to intimidate them trying to convince them to leave. It was another odd move for this Grimm, as they would usually challenge their prey, not scare them off. However, as it kept snarling, a memory was starting to flash before Blake's eyes. She tried blinking to make it go away, but after the next blink, she found herself in a different place._

_It was an old log cabin, abandoned in the middle of a forest. It was night time, and the only source of light within the house was a ceiling lamp that shined bright light. The house was illuminated with white light that shined so brightly, that the shadows that contrasted with the light were almost a pitch black. It was a stark, abstract sight to see._

_With her weapon in hand, Blake was standing over two people, huddled in a corner, both of them were Faunus. One of them, a deer Faunus, was half awake, holding onto her bleeding shoulder. The other was a panther Faunus, holding onto his partner while he looked directly at Blake, fearing for his life, and his friend's._

_Adam told Blake of the situation earlier. These two had betrayed the White Fang, leaking information of the terrorist group's plans to the authorities, and even to the Schnee Dust Company. Adam's White Fang cell had found the two, and chased after them. Blake and Adam were successful in catching up to them. As they ran, Blake took a shot at, hitting the deer in her shoulder. The panther carried her with him to a cabin they knew, but once again Blake and Adam caught up to them. Now, Blake was standing over the two, while Adam watched._

_Blake felt guilty. She harmed two Faunus, two of her own kind, despite the differing positions they were in. Was it right to execute their kin?_

"I-It's… it's alright…" _she said to them. The panther looked strangely at her for moment, then soon donned an angered look. He was apparently insulted by what she said. Before Blake could say what she meant, the panther Faunus suddenly snarled at her, making her jump back in confusion. She wanted to help them, why did he respond in such a way?_

_However, before she could try anything else, Adam walked past her. Blake looked at Adam in confusion, unsure of what to do. Adam looked down at the panther Faunus, as the panther looked back at him. With a sudden swiftness, Adam unsheathed his sword, swung up diagonally, and a fountain of blood erupted from both traitor Faunus._

_Blake looked on in shock and horror as the two Faunus quickly bled out, and Adam merely swiped the sword to shake off the blood, and sheathed it. He didn't even bash an eye towards the two people he slew. Blake gawked at him, wanting an answer. He met her stare, and said only this._

"It had to be done." _And with that, he moved to leave the cabin, further to Blake's shock. She was too dumbfounded to know what to do, only able to stare at Adam leave, and turn back her gaze to the bodies, before leaving herself._

* * *

This was one of the many reasons Blake left the White Fang. The use of violence, the change in Adam, and murders of their own kind, just to further the White Fang's agenda. She was appalled by the reformation in the White Fang, even if she thought that they were going down the right path at first. She never wanted to face this situation again.

The problem was though, she did, in a way. The two Grimm before were much like those two Grimm – innocent. Those Faunus knew the White Fang became murderous. They wanted to save the world from a violent cult. As for the two Grimm she met, they might have well been not Grimm at all. Not so much on a physical level, but in behavior. They were even sentient, like the Faunus and humans.

But she never considered that, did she? If Blake knew what she was doing, would she not have hurt that Grimm? If Adam realized what he was doing, would he not have killed the deer and panther Faunus? Perhaps… but neither of them considered their options. Adam coldly killed those two Faunus because of his devotion to the White Fang, his belief in Faunus superiority. And Blake… she was no different. She shot the grey speckled Grimm, because of what she believed the Grimm were. She shot it because of her devotion as a Huntress. Blake was like Adam in that situation, killing and hurting without knowing better.

And that was what disturbed her about the entire encounter. A deep, deep pit formed in Blake because of what she done. If those Grimm had acted any different, it may have started a war – a war that was her fault. If it had gone that route, Blake wouldn't be able to live with herself. Hell, she can't live with herself right now! Harming an intelligent creature simply because of what it was? What kind of forsaken person was she?!

Right now, with all of the guilt and shame flowing through her mind and body, along with trauma, Blake was on the verge of tears. A quiet sob escaped her throat and she curled up, bringing her knees to her chest and holding them close to her with her arms. She laid her head between her knees. She was ready to cry, as her emotions were close to breaking out.

…

But then another thought came up. She suddenly raised up her head, emitting a gasp and only shedding a single tear. She blinked and wiped her eyes with her wrist to get rid of the tears. She thought to herself, why does it have to be this way? Why do the White Fang have to be the winners? She wasn't a member of the White Fang anymore, she was an extremist for Faunus' rights, and she certainly wasn't a murderer.

So why should she put herself down?

 _"… No. No I shouldn't,"_ she thought.

She was right. She shouldn't. Maybe she hadn't done nothing when Adam killed the two Faunus, but that doesn't truly make it her fault. Maybe she had harmed a Grimm who had done nothing to her, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't repent. These events may have occurred… but does that mean they should happen again?

 _"No… not again,"_ she thought as answer. _"Never again!"_

And with a new confidence found, she stood up. She moved away from the wall, and headed down the hallway. She wasn't going harm another innocent, and she wasn't going to let the White Fang harm more of them. When she gets the time she needs, Blake will find her answers: She will find out why the White Fang are working for Torchwick, she will find out what they are planning, and she will stop them. No matter how much it will cost her, physically and mentally.

She was willing to lose herself, as long as the memories she loathed would go away.

* * *

As the evening passed, Ruby, Yang, Weiss, and all of JNPR spent some time in their dining hall before their dorm. They eventually felt hungry, so they detoured from going to the dorm and headed for food. However, the mission and their report were still fresh on their minds. They did not eat much and though they were sitting together, they hadn't said a word to each other. It was a solemn dinner that lasted for a whole hour, or more.

By the time the sun truly set and the night sky was turning blue, they left their table. They got to time they got to their dorms. Jaune and his team said goodnight to the remaining three of team RWBY, and entered their room. Ruby, Weiss, and Yang looked at each before entering their room for a moment. The entire incident was still bothering them and they were worried for Blake, their silent, stressed expressions told that much to each other. Sighing, Ruby turned to the door, and unlocked. Gazing at their room, the three were surprised to see who was inside.

Blake was putting a book away in the shelf. When she heard the door opened, she turned around to see her teammates. She too was surprised by their presence.

"Oh, Blake!" Weiss announced. "We didn't think you came back here." Her claim caused Blake to narrow her eyes.

"Why not?" She asked, unsure of why they thought of such.

"Well, you kind of ran off on us," Ruby explained. "We didn't think this is where you went."

"…" Blake said nothing. Her team leader was technically right, she could have gone anywhere else because of her mood, so their dorm was expected to be the last place to find her.

"… Are you okay?" Yang asked her partner.

"… I'm fine." Blake responded, but her tired tone made her sound less than convincing.

"Are you sure?" Weiss asked in skepticism.

"… Yeah," Blake confirmed. "Sorry for how I acted earlier."

"Eh, it's fine," said Ruby, she and the others easily accepting Blake's apology. "Today's been pretty stressful for all of us." That was something they could all agree on. Ruby then yawned, raised her arm to stretch out her side, and started to move towards the bathroom in their dorm.

"And I, for one, would like to sleep this all off," Ruby proclaimed.

"Same here. I'm freakin' tired," said Yang in agreement.

"I couldn't agree more," Weiss also complied.

"…" Blake merely nodded.

Thus, each of them prepared for a good sleep tonight. They each used the bathroom, changed into their nightwear, and they headed for their respective bed in each tactlessly made, makeshift bunk bed set. On the left bunk bed set, Ruby slept on the top, and Weiss slept on the bottom. On the right, Yang had top and Blake had bottom. With the exhaustion of their day finally getting the better of them, they swiftly fell sound asleep… except for Blake. She laid on her back for a moment to think of a single thought.

_"This… might be the last time I sleep for a while."_

Blake had decided to search for answers. That much she has decided for herself. She was willing to sacrifice herself for it, as long as she would learn everything she wanted to know, and she would prevent whatever would be a threat to the city, the school, her friends and herself. But how long would that take? If it had to be years, she would gladly oblige, as long as it meant she would get something done. But what if she would lose so much of herself, would she forget why she's fighting? Would she lose so much that all she would have left are the memories she wanted to rid herself of?

If she was going to do what she believed was the right choice, then she wouldn't want to forget her reasons for it. So Blake made a decision: She would start her investigation as soon as possible, but over the course of her work, she would use some of her time to experience the things she enjoyed, like reading, and the things she believed were useless to her, such as grades. That way, she would have the memories of the things she loved, an incentive for what she was going to do. That way, she would remember the things she would sacrifice and motivate herself further to find answers. And once she did, she would happily return to the things she returned.

Although, a part of her feared that she would come to sacrificing her friends… she hoped it may not come to that, but was considering such an option. For now though, she focusing on the little things, like resting. Blake believed that this would be her last night of sleep. She tucked herself into the bed, closed her eyes, and waited for sleep to take hold of her. If she would have good night's sleep, she cherish the memory of it, once she abandons rest in order to find her answers.

Now, all members of team RWBY were asleep. Not a single sound went by that disturbed them, so each of them slept comfortably. They could not hear a thing and they could not see a thing.

So they certainly could not see the large, black shape hanging literally in front of their window. The dark figure was robust, covered in shaggy fur. It was holding onto the ledge of the window. The figure reached with the hand it wasn't using to hold on, to test if the window could be opened or not. It found out that it could, and it was unlocked. The figure slowly, cautiously raised the window up, careful to not make a unsettling noise. It raised it all the way up, and carefully climbed through, into the room.

If anyone could see this figure, the bright moonlight would make some of its figures distinguishable. The dark hair and skin, the bony extrusions from its elbows and shoulders, and its narrow, flat face. One might also be able to see its eyes – one that was a pale blue, and another that was a milky white, with a scar around that eye.

Koba has arrived, and he had found the humans who invaded his homeland. Koba looked around the room, searching left and right. He saw each of them sleeping in their beds… and he saw how the beds were so tactlessly set up. How they made them such or why they couldn't afford something more efficient, was beyond him. Not caring much for their bunkbeds, Koba moved around the room, taking slow and careful steps to make sure he did not wake any of them up. He then saw three of the weapon he saw them use.

Two of them were swords, one long and thin, while the other was wide and thick. The other were two pairs of yellow gauntlets. He picked each one up carefully to examine them. He wondered just how they could have killed with such things. Judging by the colors the humans associated themselves, he could easily guess which weapon belonged to who. He remembered that the human girl clad in red dropped her weapon after she transformed it, and that Caesar picked it up.

Koba wanted to take the weapons to the colony, so that they could study them and, perhaps, replicate them. However, he knew that the humans would be suspicious of their precious tools disappearing on them. He decided against that, so he quietly put the weapons down, and made to take his leave through the window. However, he stopped when one of the sleeping girls caught his attention. He heard her turn and was immediately on alert. The girl did not change sides, so she only made the slight movement subconsciously, to Koba's relief. While he looked at her, though, he remembered something. He took a step closer, seeing her jet black hair, and a cloth bow atop her head, while her back faced him, Koba figured out who she was.

As soon as the large search party got to Ash and Blue Eyes, he saw his two honorary nephews surrounded by eight humans. They were too late from preventing Ash getting shot in his shoulder. However, when Koba looked at the humans for a culprit, he saw one them holding something that looked like a pistol and the barrel of that weapon was lightly smoking, meaning a shot was fired from it. It was the black haired girl who held it. The same girl that Koba was currently gazing at. The same human girl he wanted to kill.

Koba was angry. Angered that such a horrible thing happened to his honorary nephew, the son of Rocket. Knowing it was this human who did, it made him even more angry. Koba knew humans were bad like this, being indiscriminate when they shoot their beloved guns, not caring what their bullet hits. Killing this human now would mean one less bad human for the apes to deal with. His hand slowly reached for the girl's neck, which was barely visible under the covers she slept in. If he could do as quickly and quietly as possible, Koba would avenge Ash. He would avenge Rocket. He would avenge the Apes!

Suddenly, a hooting noise was called out, brining Koba out of his murderous state. He blinked a few times, and turned to look through the window. In the tree just outside of the room, hanging onto its thick branches, were Koba's lieutenants Grey and Stone. Grey was the one who called out to his leader. He was quiet enough so that the humans would not be stirred, but loud enough for Koba could hear.

Koba could see their worried expressions and realized what was wrong. He could not kill the human, no matter how much he felt towards them. If he did so now, the humans would be distraught, suspicious, and angry. Even though they would be out of the continent long after, there was still a chance of them being found the culprits, no matter how slim a chance that would be. With better judgement, Koba took his arm away from the girl, his hand merely inches away from her throat. Now was not the time for Koba to enact revenge for Ash, nor himself.

Both Grey and Stone sighed, relieved that Koba hadn't botched their mission. Koba came to the window and leapt out into the tree, making some rustling noises as he collided with the leaves and branches. He climbed up the branches to be directly in front of his subordinates.

 _We found humans. Got what we wanted,_ the scarred ape signed to them. Both Grey and Stone nodded. Now they had to leave, and Koba knew just how. He turned to Grey.

"… Grey… Powers. Now," He spoke in his still raspy but developing voice. Grey nodded. The three apes locked hands, and Grey focused all of his energy calling onto his 'powers.'

In a few seconds, Grey's Grimm-like body started to glow. He was surrounded in a bright, greyish light, which then surrounded Koba and Stone. Grey opened his eyes, his green eyes no longer visible as they were shining with pure light. Then, his body began to transform. Emanating from his very being were thick wisps of smoke. He was not dissipating, he was turning into another state of matter. Eventually, as his entire body turned into thick grey smoke, the process transferred to Koba and Stone. They too turned into smoke.

Soon, each gaseous form of the apes combined into a thick black cloud, engulfing the tree in itself. The smoky cloud then started to rise up, rising higher into the sky, almost blending in with the dark night sky. The cloud swiftly moved north, heading straight for their colony.

Koba had done what Caesar asked, and he intended to tell his king everything he knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes on FanFiction.net
> 
> /-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\
> 
> Author's note, 6/10/17:
> 
> Hey all. I know it's been five to six months since the last update (not counting several additions/detractions to my profile page) and I apologize for that setback, but I have to reiterate what I've mentioned in my profile: I don't have a consistent schedule with publications and my personal life has priority. I'm sorry, but these kinds of things do take over writing fanfiction. My life will especially take over with my job this summer. So do not expect much from me for the rest of June and most of July. However, rest assured, I am working hard on my fanfics, so I will see if I can get at least one or two updates in. I will also work harder in August to get more chapters and stories published, before the next semester starts. I hope this makes up for everything.
> 
> Now aside from that, let's get onto what I have to say about this chapter. Since this is where Blake starts to act more antisocial because of the villains' plotting in volume 2, I wanted to focus more on the aspect of what may be going through her mind at that time. What motives would she have for cutting herself off from people or even sleep? How far would she go? I hope I was able to cover what the show hadn't. And the whole traumatic hallucination thing was kind of thought up last minute, but it came out pretty good to me. Not sure if people like to see characters get hurt like that, but that's the kind of stuff I like to write.
> 
> Last chapter I asked about names for the species of Grimm apes minus the Beringel, giving my own ideas and asking for suggestions. Now those three types of Grimm apes will be named, but canon-wise for this fanfic, those three species have not been discovered yet by the Kingdoms. As for what the names will be, I've decided for this: Hominidon will be genus name for the Grimm Chimpanzees and the two species will be H. Troglodytes (Grimm Common Chimpanzee) and H. Gremlins (Grimm Bonobo/Grimm Chimpanzee). Gigantops will be the name of the Grimm Orangutans. Grimm don't have a classification thing like genus but I figured it would be a little unique for the Grimm Apes, and it is inspired by the suggestions of fellow author GojiGrimlockSaurus.
> 
> And how did Grey turn himself and the other apes into smoke? Not telling now but again… they're not 100% Grimm, and have something other people on Remnant have. Hint hint. Hope it's not too obvious now though. If you figure out what I'm referring too, don't say it in the reviews, in case there's someone who doesn't want to be spoiled. Someone mentioned it in a previous review but, based on what they said, I don't think they knew what I meant.
> 
> Anyway, that's all I got. Wait for next chapter on this story, I don't know when it will be. Or, you can wait for the second chapter of my second story if you're reading that one too, which will likely come first. Laters.


	4. Declaration of Peace, Not War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ownership:  
> RWBY is owned by creator Monty Oum, God rest his soul, and Rooster Teeth Productions.  
> Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is owned by 20th Century Fox, Chenrin Entertainment, and TSG Entertainment. 
> 
> I, the humble author of this fan-work, own absolutely nothing, gain no profit whatsoever, and wish only to express my writing and love for these fandoms artistically.
> 
> /–\–/–\–/–\–/–\–/–\–/–\–/–\
> 
> Change of plans in schedule. Also, this is one of my favorite scenes in the film (from FanFiction.net).

Chapter 4: Declaration of Peace, Not War

  

_Night time, around ten._

* * *

At this hour, it would be usual for most of the apes to be asleep. With their daily work completed and the dark night sky over them, an exhausted ape would be very glad to go to their hut and sleep the night away. A tired father of a young son, daughter, or both would be ecstatic to return to his children and his spouse to finally rest with them. A king, who is stressed with his responsibilities, would love to lay down on their bed and sleep with his queen.

However, sleep would have to wait for Caesar. He was waiting, and he waited for a long, long time. Those who waited with him were his son Blue Eyes, his good friends Maurice, Rocket and Luca, and Rocket's son Ash. Each of them waited for another of their council to return, and they were taking quite some time to do so. Other apes were still awake as well, curious of what the colony's council members would decide. They hadn't anticipated their entire trip would take so long; they forgotten how far away their home was from the rest of the world. At last, entering through the colony's gate, the three apes they were waiting for arrived. Koba and his lieutenants, Grey and Stone, returned. Now, the Grimm Apes' council could finally commence and they can discuss what was bothering them so much: the matter concerning the Humans and Faunus.

As soon as Koba and his lieutenants sat down with the others to discuss, they had much to say. They told Caesar and everyone how they had to climb on the back of the humans' flying machines, how they hid from view for most of the day, waiting for nightfall to explore what they saw before their very eyes – a castle. Though it was a lack for a better term, it was a term that perfectly described what they saw. Through this castle's many buildings they weaved through, gazing through each window to see many young humans sleeping on their beds. They saw a many more sleeping youths until, finally, they saw four of the humans the apes encountered. Koba carefully entered their room, observed them and their weapons, and simply left after that.

Koba was the one telling the other apes what he and his lieutenants saw, through his point of view. As Koba mentioned that they left after he only observed them for a short moment, Grey and Stone glanced at each other nervously. Caesar picked up on the glances between them but had thought nothing more of it, as Koba continued speaking in sign.

 _Must attack them now! Before they attack us!_ He said, convinced that the apes should strike first and determined to defeat the humans in one strike. Koba was certain that his fellow apes would agree with him.

 _We don't know how many Humans and Faunus there are_ , Maurice had countered, surprising Koba that he was disagreeing with him at the moment. _How many guns they have?_ _How many blades?_ Maurice continued. _Or why they came here?_

Frustrated that Maurice appeared to not take his side on the matter, Koba turned to an ape who would have a stronger opinion; Rocket. The girl with black hair and apparel had shot Ash, shot his son in cold blood. Surely, the tough ape would agree that such monsters should be exterminated.

 _They shot your son, Rocket!_ Koba declared, instantly gaining Rocket's attention. _Don't you want to fight?_ Koba asked him. Rocket took a moment to respond, making a quick glance to his colony's leader, and signed his answer in confidence.

 _I follow Caesar!_ He adamantly stated. Baffled that his fellow apes could not see the danger of the humans and Faunus, Koba resorted to expressing his unsettledness through pant-hoots. The other apes responded the same. Though they were evolved, they were not yet above emitting the popular sound an ape usually makes.

 _Koba's right!_ Blue Eyes interjected, and he then addressed his friend, Ash. _They shot you Ash! Almost kill you!_ He said to him. Reminded of his injury, Ash looked away bashfully, as he was still unsure of what to think of the humans after the incident. Not understanding how he felt, Blue Eyes looked at his friend in confusion.

Caesar had yet to make his opinion heard among the apes. He was slightly deep in thought of what to do, now that he knew where the humans he saw had lived. Although, after hearing the fact that these humans had lived in what Koba described as a castle, Caesar further believed that they were hunters. He remembered the work these kinds of people did. Maurice hadn't spoken again because he was still observing the red weapon the humans dropped. He was still looking over it, reviewing it; he felt that he just did not yet understand what it truly was. Luca has been emitting pant-hoots like the other apes at the moment.

Maurice handed the weapon over to Caesar, for him to once more look over. It still had the surprising weight to it, when Caesar felt it in his hand, but he had no trouble in holding it. Although Caesar was fascinated by the machination, it was not enough to distract him from the apes' bickering. Though it was important that the humans and Faunus must understand the power of the apes, it could not be done at the cost of lives. His fellow apes seemed not to understand that, as the continued to argue relentlessly. Caesar looked up from the weapon, though he was not looking directly at the apes around him.

"NO!" He shouted, and silence fell on the council. His son Blue Eyes, Koba, and the others ceased from their panting and hooting to gaze at their leader. Caesar turned to see his compatriots in the eye, and continued to speak through sign.

 _If we go to war… we could lose all we've built_ , he stated, and the others looked to him with shock and realization. Was fighting the humans and Faunus worth the loss of their colony?

"Home…" Caesar spoke with words. "Family…" Caesar stopped when he looked at Koba, who had a downcast expression and looked to the ground in shame. Koba did not want any of the apes to die and hadn't realized that, until Caesar had to say it. Caesar reached over to Koba, and with his hand raised Koba's head up, so that he could see his king.

"Future." Caesar said lastly, and silence overtook the council. Home, family, and future; these three things were what the apes had fought for, ever since they day they fought for freedom from Human and Faunus kind. It was surprising, and silly, that they were risking those three things the apes live for, over an argument of whether or not to attack Humans.

 _I will decide by morning_ , Caesar declared in sign, arose from his seat on the ground, and walked towards his house. He had enough for the night, and would be glad to sleep for the night. Koba followed Caesar with his eyes, watching his leader leave, until he himself stood up and followed. Caesar was at the first step up towards his house, until he heard someone call his name.

"Caesar," said a hoarse voice. Caesar stopped in his tracks, but did not need to guess who addressed him. Caesar slowly turned around to see Koba gazing up at him, with a slightly anxious expression.

 _For years I was a prisoner in their labs_ , Koba claimed. _They cut me… Tortured me. Humans hurt me bad, and Faunus hurt me like Humans hurt them._ Though Koba was openly stating his experiences of torture, Caesar looked at him with a stern and stoic expression, but his eyes showed a glimpse of sympathy.

 _You freed me_ , Koba continued, expressing his gratitude towards Caesar. _I would do anything you ask. But we must show strength!_

After a hard finish to Koba's compelling argument, Caesar gazed at him… and he agreed. He couldn't agree more with the scarred ape, an ape he considered as his close friend. Koba was like a brother to Caesar.

 _We will, Koba_ , Caesar told him, to which Koba expressed relief and more gratitude. Caesar held his arm out to Koba, he reached with his to Caesar, and they grasped each other by the arm. Their friendship reassured and their agreement solidified, the two held each other like such for a moment longer before departing. Morning was to come very soon, and they have to get as much sleep as they could, before Caesar announces his decision.

* * *

_The next day at the Docks, mid to late morning._

* * *

The men and women who work at the docking ports of Vale were experiencing strange weather today. While the sky was clear and the sun shined over the great city, the ocean seemed to be covered in a thick and sickly haze. Their jobs at the docks were far from enjoyable, and for them to come in to these conditions added to their misery. Ships and boats, large or small, would be difficult to see, and the workers couldn't prepare if they couldn't see a boat coming in to dock.

The workers had many jobs at the docks, such as maintaining the docks in a cleanly and stable state, tying smaller vessels like sail boats to the dock, importing goods off of larger ships, and so on. It was laborious work that no one would really take a liking to and, like today, strange or terrible weather made the job less enjoyable. Unfortunately, the ports were always open for boats to dock, unless an official government order was issued to temporarily close the docks. Besides the one exception, the docks needed maintenance supervision, so it was mandatory for the dock workers to arrive, no matter the weather condition, mild or severe.

At one port, a dock worker, who wore an orange vest with the emblem of Vale printed on it, which resembled two axes laid over a laurel wreath, was helping a fisherman tie his boat to the dock and unload his many freezers, undoubtedly full with fish. As he was midway through unloading all of the fisherman's belongings, the dock worker turned to look at the ocean, still covered in fog. Then, his eyes moved down to see the ocean water itself, and saw something of a peculiar green color. He bent down to peek over the edge of the dock. With a closer look, he sat that it was only a bloom of algae, rising up to the surface water.

 _"Huh… that's a lot of green stuff,"_ he thought to himself, taking note of how much algae there was. Now that he knew what had caught his eye, his attention turned back to helping the fisherman. They were already done in a few seconds, the fisherman had all his fishing equipment freezers of fish. As the fisherman was about to thank the dock worker for the assistance, he stopped mid-sentence, and simply froze. Confused, the dock worker saw the fisherman stare at something with wide eyes, so the worker turned to see what was distracting the fisherman. He instantly shared the fisherman's shocked expression.

The dock was suddenly covered in plants. Moss, grass, vines, many kinds of plants seemed to be engulfing the dock. What was stranger, however, was that the dock worker could see the plants grow, in rapid succession. Very soon, the plants surrounded the entire dock, even wrapping around his own feet and legs. Frightened, he immediately stripped the plants covering him, but he could not stop the plants swamping the docks. Even the fisherman's boat fell victim to the plants as they wrapped tightly around the vessel, and the poor fisherman cried out in protest.

"What the hell is going on?!" cried a woman, another dock worker. Before anyone could even comprehend an answer, the phenomenon took to another level of bizarre. From the ocean, slowly but surely, risen what could be described as a **bridge** made of the plants. Ocean water poured out from the plant bridge as it rose, and it risen until the bridge's height, above the ocean's surface, was equivalent to that of the dock's. One of the dock workers, the man who was helping the fisherman, took a curious step towards this strange bridge. He kept walking towards it until he felt that he reached where the dock ended and the plant bridge began. He was scared of whether this bridge would even support him. Cautiously, he took one more step but he shut his eyes tightly, scared that he would fall through and didn't want to see himself drop. However, when he felt his foot firmly planted on solid ground, he looked down and found himself standing on this ominous bridge.

"No way…!" he muttered to himself in stupor. Suddenly, everyone present on the docks heard a strange noise. It sounded like the amalgamation of a pant and a hoot, something that a living creature could possibly emit. The call was made once, twice, three times or more. The dock worker looked up in the sound's direction. In the fog covering the ocean, he saw the outline of a large and strange shape coming forward, surrounded by what seemed to be a green light. The dock worker was more dumbfounded than ever, seeing such an ominous and, somewhat, saintly presence. However, as the figure came into view and the green light quickly faded, the dock worker was quickly overwhelmed with fear.

Walking towards the docks was a Grimm. It was humanoid and apelike, with black hair and skin but with little bone armor, only appearing to have bony plates on its shoulders and a sharp thorn protruding from each elbow. On its chest was a white coloration that formed a rib cage with a red line in the center of it. On its face, instead of the notorious bone mask, was another white coloration that resembled a skull, with a red mark on its forehead. Without a mask, its simian facial features were as clear as day, defined by a serious expression; what was very noticeable were its eyes, humanlike and green in color. Another strange aspect of this Grimm was the animal it was mounted on: a strong, jet black horse, that appeared to have no ills with its rider.

The dock worker and his peers were completely shocked to see such a sight. Though they could question why they were seeing a horse-ridding Grimm and a bridge made of plants, they didn't seem to have the time to do so. Behind this bizarre Grimm, there were several silhouettes appearing in the fog. From what the dock worker could see, the shapes were either the same size or larger than this Grimm. These covered figures also appeared to be holding up what looked like long sticks with sharp ends. Even though the dock worker was completely stupefied, he didn't need a clue to figure out what was happening.

In haste, the worker reached for his two-way radio transceiver, unfastened it from his belt, and brought it close to his face, his mouth in front of the speaker. He clicked on the button to talk, and spouted as fast he could, "Code Red! We have a Code Red–!"

***SNAP***

Before he could see what happened, the transceiver was ripped from his hand, interrupting the message to his superiors. He saw right before him a vine standing up, surrounded by a green light, and it wrapped itself around his transceiver. The dock worker was too flabbergasted to stop the vine from crushing his radio and throwing it to the side, into the ocean. He was now sweating profusely, nervous as hell and scared to death. Then, as he heard something stepping towards him, he looked up to see the Grimm, gazing down at him from its horse.

The dock worker feared for his life, having no idea what this Grimm was going to do. Though he expected the worst, the Grimm did something incredibly simple: it shook its head leisurely, a clear sign for saying 'no.' The dock worker realized that the Grimm was telling him not to warn the public, but he was still extremely befuddled. The Grimm made a gesture that he would easily understand; in a sense, it communicated with him, which was incredible and horrifying at the same time.

As the dock worker did nothing in his shock, the Grimm took this as his compliance. On its horse, the Grimm moved past him, and everyone had strayed away from it. The dock worker looked back at the intelligent beast, barely able to comprehend what he witnessed. However, he was brought out of his stupor when he heard the stride of several hooves and more of the pant-hoots from earlier. He turned around to see a terrifying spectacle.

A horde of Grimm. The army of the Grimm Apes.

* * *

"Baker's dozen, if ya don't mind."

At a local bakery, a young, athletically fit man was ordering sweets. He has a tan complexion and wore an open white jacket, exposing his muscular chest and abdomen. His hair is ruffled and blonde, his eyes a bright blue, and wore a black necklace with a round, golden pendant. His arms were covered in red bracers and black fingerless gloves and wore blue cargo pants, held up by a white belt and a chain hanging on the side. The pants ended at his calves, which were wrapped in bandages for style, and he sported black and yellow sneakers. Finally, sprouting from his rear was a golden, prehensile monkey's tail, obviously making him a Faunus.

Sun Wukong was a student of Mistral's Haven Academy. Though he was native to the kingdom of Vacuo, he had later moved to Mistral. A reclined and audacious individual, he had a desire for adventure, which often pushed him to venture on his own. On one such impulsive adventure, after stowing away on a ship, he acquainted himself with Beacon's teams RWBY and JNPR, especially bonding RWBY's Blake Belladonna. During their time of knowing each other, he was with her when Blake discovered Roman Torchwick was working with the White Fang. Though the two were friends at the moment, Sun eventually found himself feeling somewhat smitten with her. However, the members of RWBY and JNPR didn't know everything about him, having only met his team member Neptune recently, but he often spent time socializing with them.

Right now, he was ordering doughnuts from a local bakery, hoping to share them with Blake and the others. Though such confectionaries were not beneficial for his physique, Sun was confident that he could eventually work off the calories. It was simply a casual treat for the casual man. More importantly, the intent of buying them was to spend more time with Blake once again.

"Sure thing, kid," said the store's head baker. After a moment's wait, the baker brought out a box with thirteen fresh doughnuts, the usual amount for a 'baker's dozen', and he handed him to Sun. He paid for them and greedily took them from the baker.

"Thanks!" Sun quickly thanked him. He turned to his order and slightly opened the box, letting out small amount of steam from the freshly baked doughnuts, and took a quick took in the sweet aroma of the food. "God, these smell good!" he exclaimed, and then headed to leave the store.

 _"I sure hope Blake likes these_ ," He thought to himself, looking down at his order. _"… I mean, hoping that she likes donuts at all–!"_

When Sun stopped to look out the glass door, he stopped in his tracks. His train of thought immediately derailed, his arms going slack and dropping his order, and his happy expression instantly turning into shock. Other customers in the had similar reactions when they saw what Sun was staring at.

An enormous army of Grimm were traveling across the road. Each of them seemed to resemble apes, many of them were riding black horses, and several were holding long wooden spears. There were hundreds of them, so many that the entire road was engulfed by this mass of Grimm. Not a single car would be able to drive through this horde. Some of them were walking on the street, as if road seemed to be unable to fit all of these Grimm. Nearly all of Vale's citizens, human and Faunus, were trapped in various shops and houses neighboring and across from the bakery. Despite the fear that was gathering up from the citizens, not a single Grimm seemed to be attacking the buildings that were chock full of frightened mortals. Right now, this beastly army was stoically marching down the road, heading for an unknown destination.

Sun couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. It couldn't be possible that the roads of Vale were overtaken by a horde of this size. Curiosity seemed to seize him, and he wondered whether the spectacle before him wasn't some kind of optical trick. When he saw the street clear of these Grimm, Sun moved towards the glass door to cautiously open it, ignoring the doughnuts he dropped. He opened the door, only to see it clearly wasn't some kind of trick. There really was an army of Grimm Apes in Vale.

"What the heck…?" Sun muttered to himself, having no understanding of this bizarre sight. A horde of apelike Grimm, armed with spears and riding horses, wasn't attacking a single human nor Faunus. It was an apparent march of peace, the only action these Grimm were making. Why was it like this? Why were these Grimm so peaceful, so nonviolent? As much as he wanted to ponder this matter more, Sun was forced to focus on himself, as a Grimm Ape was charging towards him.

"WOAH!" Sun cried out, as he quickly shut the door and he was back inside the bakery. The Grimm Ape roared loudly and slammed its fists across the glass door, leaving only a large crack. The intensity of its roar was strong enough to paralyze Sun in shock, causing him to trip and fall to the floor, landing on his bottom. Sun stared at the Grimm, and it glared back at him. The customers stood far away from Sun and the Grimm on the other side, utterly afraid of the beast attacking the store. Seeing it in full view, Sun could see its features.

From what he could tell, it was a Beringel, the Grimm's counterpart to the Gorilla. However, this Beringel was different, resembling an actual Gorilla more than a Grimm. It had less bony plates protruding from its body than a normal Beringel, having only two small plates on its chest and a small amount of plates on its shoulders and arms. There were stripes of white coloration on its chest and stomach, forming a rib cage pattern. It sported no bone mask, only having another white coloration that formed a skull, its apelike face free to show expression. The one thing this Beringel really had in common with normal ones was the black skin and hair. This Grimm's most striking feature, though, were its eyes. Two eyes that looked exactly like a human's or a Faunus' eyes, and were green in color, but with little flecks of red in the irises. This creature was certainly a Grimm, that was for sure, but appeared more like a real life ape than a Grimm.

Sun still gazed at this beast in amazement, as the Grimm glared at him. Sun realized something when he saw this Grimm's eyes, however. They didn't show any kind of hatred or hunger for his flesh. At this moment, they were the eyes of one who would give a stern warning to another. Sun and the Grimm Ape stared at each other for another moment, until the ape grunted and hit the ground with its fist. It turned to rejoin its fellow Grimm in the horde, and Sun sighed heavily in relief. Two of the bakery's customers went over to help him stand up.

"Wow, that was a close call, huh kid?" one customer said to him.

"Yeah, that Grimm almost got you," said the other. Sun stared out at the Grimm who approached him, until it disappeared among the ranks of this army, then spoke what he knew.

"… No… that's not it," he claimed, confusing the two customers next him.

"Huh?" asked the one to Sun's left.

"It didn't want to eat me…" Sun stated. "… It wanted to keep me in here."

* * *

Caesar watched, as Luca had scared the Faunus back into the building. He was glad that Luca hadn't caused any serious harm. Once Luca made sure the Faunus hadn't retaliated and returned to march with the army, Caesar turned back to see the empty road before him.

So far, nothing consequential had occurred when the apes arrived this large city. As the army had overrun the road, some apes took to the streets to make sure no human or Faunus had left their buildings. Other apes climbed up to the roofs of the buildings to take watch from there, looking for any threats coming towards the apes, whether from the ground or the air. Caesar had never known of this city. He had assumed long ago that the city he knew, where he and the other apes came from, was the only settlement the humans and Faunus ever lived in. He assumed that the humans and Faunus were destroyed when the apes left that city. He should have realized that there were other settlements, with many more humans and Faunus, but Caesar never payed attention to any kind of news to the outside world. He was a young ape at that time, after all.

As Caesar and the apes marched down this great city's roads, he gazed at the many buildings that stood before him. Several humans and Faunus gazed at him and his apes, through their windows. So many of them were emitting feelings of fear, Caesar could sense it. Like any other Grimm, the Grimm Apes could feel the fear of the humans and Faunus. Unlike the Grimm, however, they didn't need to sustain on fear. Because of what they are, the Grimm Apes actually needed food for sustenance, that is why they hunt for elk and forage for fruits and vegetable. They were omnivorous, so they could live off a diet of both vegetation and meat. Caesar was thankful that he and the apes needed food to live; it drove their kind farther from being true Grimm. However, Caesar knew that the humans and Faunus didn't know that.

As the army continued marching, Maurice pushed his horse to move up closer to Caesar. Maurice had been pondering on something when Caesar had told the Grimm Apes what they were to do. Maurice hooted at Caesar to get his attention, and the latter turned to Maurice.

 _Why go to where Koba found them?_ Maurice asked in sign. Maurice was referring to the humans who first encountered the Grimm Apes, and the location where Koba had found them, which he described as a castle. Caesar gazed at his friend for a moment, before he signed an answer.

 _Human and Faunus leaders not there. I know that_ , Caesar admitted. _But more important we speak to them, not their leaders._

 _Why?_ Maurice asked, curious of why this castle, where these eight humans lived in, was the place where they had to make their statement to all humans and Faunus. Caesar paused before he gave an answer, then he finally told Maurice his reasons.

 _They are Hunters_ , Caesar revealed. _Of Grimm._

At that, Maurice quickly showed his surprise at Caesar's answer; Caesar thought that Maurice would react that way. Maurice slightly turned away from Caesar, blinked quite a few times, and exhaled from the shock. Though startled, Maurice couldn't believe that he hadn't realized it sooner. Now that he understood his leader's reasons, Maurice looked back at Caesar. Maurice nodded, showing that he knew the gravity of the situation. Caesar nodded back, and turned his attention back to the road before them.

The Hunters of the Grimm would be the immediate threat to the Grimm Apes. Their job was to destroy the Grimm, so that the humans and Faunus could survive. If they didn't understand that the Grimm Apes were peaceful and desired seclusion from the humans and Faunus, the Hunters would attack the apes indiscriminately. So, Caesar wanted to announce the apes' intentions at the castle, where the eight young Hunters and, likely, many more Hunters like them lived. That way, hopefully, their greatest threat would understand what the Grimm Apes really are.

After marching for a while longer, the Grimm Ape army came to the coast of a large river, which ran through this city. Caesar looked to the river, then gazed to his left. He saw that along the coast, the land rises and the river dips. He could see from afar that the river ended at a huge and steep cliff. At the edge of this cliff, a building was situated there. From the distance, he made out the shape of this building to be akin to a castle. Caesar found the place Koba told him of.

Though the army could walk along the river's coast and eventually reach this castle, it would take a lot of time. Caesar wanted to get this done as soon as possible, to get his message to the Hunters. Knowing what to do, Caesar called upon his powers once again. He reached out with his hand, and it glowed with a green light. Then, all of the plants around him obeyed his will.

* * *

Nora was walking down the hallway of a school building, with books and papers in her hands and a little skip in her step. Though she wasn't the most fond of studying, Nora was a positive person in general. Though she had off days before, such as any time when she couldn't get to eat pancakes, her energetic personality was able to keep her upbeat for a long time, every day. Also, the books she had were on combat techniques, something she was fond of, so that added to her perky mood today.

Suddenly, three students who were rushing down the hallway knocked into her. Nora didn't see them coming, although, she was able to keep herself from falling down. However, the force of the students bumping into her caused Nora to drop her books and papers. Realizing what they just did, they looked at Nora's predicament. Feeling miffed, Nora glared directly at them.

"Hey! Don't make me break your legs!" she shouted. The abrupt threat was enough to make them jump back in fear.

"S-Sorry!" one of the students nervously apologized. They hastily turned around and resumed running down the hallway. Nora huffed and kneeled down to pick up what she dropped. However, as she pondered the incident, Nora looked up to see the direction the students went in. However, she saw those same students a distance away from her, having stopped to look through a window.

…

They were running in a hallway to simply look through a window? What was so special about looking through a window? Or to look through that specific window, even?!

Just as she started to feel puzzled by those students' strange action, she saw a few more students run past her. Just like the others, they too stopped at a window, the same one the first three stopped at or different ones, and they stared out the windows intently. The strange spectacle further confused Nora.

"What the heck is up with them?" she asked to no one particular. One student heard her question, a boy with brown hair and brown eyes, and turned to Nora so that he could answer her.

"You didn't hear?! There's a horde coming towards us! They're just outside this building!" He claimed, and Nora instantly garnered a shocked expression.

"What?!" she exclaimed. Nora quickly stood up and rushed to a window with a huddle of students, to see the supposed horde at their doorsteps.

He wasn't wrong. There was indeed a horde of Grimm, walking down the main avenue of Beacon. However, Nora was the only one who recognized the kind of Grimm these were. Somehow, the Grimm Apes from the 'West Dragon' continent reached Vale and they managed to get to Beacon. She didn't know how, but they did. She could see a copious number of Grimm Apes marching towards the gate. While many of them were on the ground, walking on all fours, many of the apes were riding large horses that had black coats, and many of them were carrying the spears she previously saw them wield.

"No friggin' way…" she muttered to herself. Right now, Nora was extremely terrified.

"I know…" said a student to her right, in agreement.

"There's so many of them…" spoke another.

"I heard they hadn't attacked anyone in Vale."

"What? That can't be right…"

At the moment the strange claim was made, the many students started muttering over the situation, debating whether these Grimm had or had not actually attacked any citizens or students, human or Faunus. Why they wouldn't take the opportunity to eat something with a soul, the students couldn't figure out such atypical behavior from these Grimm.

"What do you think of this?" a student asked Nora, whom he saw next to his left earlier. However, the spot where Nora was standing, the spot where she could see the Grimm horde clear enough, was no longer occupied by her. Surprised, the student looked left and right, but no longer saw the orange haired girl

"What the…? Where did she go?" he wondered to himself.

As for where Nora was exactly, she was running speedily down the hallway, away from where the students were clustered. The only trace she left behind were the books and papers she previously held, abandoning them on the school floor.

"CRAP, CRAP, CRAP!" she anxiously and repeatedly yelled while running. Nora was heading for the dorms immediately, hoping to warn her friends of the Grimm Apes in time.

* * *

All four members of team RWBY were in their dorm, each of them on their particular bed of the makeshift bunk beds. Ruby was on her top bunk, merely laying on her back and staring aimlessly and forlornly at the ceiling. Weiss was on her bottom bunk, bellow Ruby's bed, sitting up straight on the edge of the mattress, filing her nails. Blake was sitting upright on her bottom bunk, who was browsing her scroll, all the while staring intently at it. Yang was laying on her stomach on her own top bunk, above Blake's bed, and she was happily playing a game on her own scroll; Yang seemed to be the only one with a jovial expression.

"… I can't believe she's gone," Ruby muttered. Her words were barely audible, but they were enough to break the dull silence in their room. Weiss paused her nail filing to look up at her team leader's bunk in response, with her brow raised.

" … Is your weapon the only thing you care about?" Weiss asked critically.

"Whenever she doesn't have it, yeah," said Yang nonchalantly, speaking for her younger sister. Yang seemed to have dealt with this before.

"Hmph." Weiss merely huffed in response and resumed filing her nails. The previous silence returned in their dorm room, as they continued to their own business. That is, until they heard loud banging on their door.

Nearly jumping in response, the four girls were startled by three raucous knocks on their door. Each of them stared wide eyed at their door and, almost immediately after the third knock, someone smashed through their door, nearly ripping it off the hinges. It was Nora, with an anxious and scared expression. At the same time she smashed through team RWBY's door, Nora dragged her three members, Jaune, Pyrrha and Ren, each with shocked and dazed expressions, into RWBY's dorm room.

""Nora?!"" each member of team RWBY exclaimed simultaneously, jumping off their beds to address the brash hammer wielder.

"GUYS, GUYS, GUYS! I GOT REALLY BAD NEWS!" Nora's voice exploded, the sheer volume of it nearly popping everyone else's ear drums.

"Nora, calm down!" Ruby asked as loud as she could, but she couldn't get the short, orange haired girl to do as she asked.

"What is with her?!" Weiss demanded of Nora's teammates

"I don't know!" claimed Jaune. "She just forced us out of our room!"

"BECAUSE I HAVE SOMETHING BAD TO TELL YOU!" said Nora, noisily trying to explain herself.

"Stop yelling and tell us!" Blake shouted. In response, Nora stopped to take a hasty deep breath, and went on with saying what she needed to tell them.

"It's the Grimm!" she blurted out, and everyone was dumbfounded.

""What?!"" Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, and team RWBY shouted.

"We're being attacked?!" Ruby queried, completely shocked by Nora's sudden and dreadful announcement.

"Of all the blasted times a horde could be invading now!" cried Weiss with severe irritation.

"No time to complain!" Yang proclaimed. As everyone looked to her, Yang grabbed her weapons, Ember Celica, put them on and immediately shifted them from bracelets to large, yellow gauntlets that covered her hands and forearms, all the while having a determined look on her face. "Come on, let's get our stuff and kick some Grimm ass!"

"I'm not talking about THOSE Grimm!" Nora suddenly shouted, putting emphasis on the word 'those'. The moment those words left her mouth, everyone looked to Nora in puzzlement.

"What?" Yang asked, the energy she had gathered for battle had drained away from her confusion with Nora's statement.

"Wait, Nora, what are you trying to say?" asked Ren, hoping to get his close friend to clarify what she was referring to.

However, Nora was still in a manic state, making her ability to explain the situation, clearly and concise, difficult for her. Because of such, Nora resorted to this.

"You know?! OO OO EE EE AH AH!?" She yelled out noises that resembled the stereotypical call of a primate. Everyone gawked at her, exasperated by such an awkward action.

"… Are those… supposed to be monkey noises?" Weiss slowly asked Nora, to which she anxiously nodded affirmative in a rapid fashion.

That's when realization donned on everyone. Nora's anxiety over an incoming Grimm attack and how there was a relation to monkeys. Nora would never be so distraught over a Grimm attack; she would be as enthusiastic as Yang for the opportunity to slay the Grimm. But she was nervous over this Grimm horde because it was a _specific_ Grimm horde. As for her monkey-like noises… although they were an obscure reference, the two student teams have encountered something recently. Something that was related to _apes_.

"Nora… are you telling us…?" though Ren didn't finish his question out of fear, Nora again nodded her head rapidly to say yes. Soon, everyone was as stressed as Nora was. The Grimm from 'West Dragon' were here.

"No… y-you can't mean…" said a disturbed Pyrrha, unable to finish her sentence like Ren for the same reasons.

"But… how could they even get here?" asked an equally nervous Jaune.

"I don't know, but they're here!" Nora fearfully proclaimed, stating an undeniable truth.

"… What… should we do?" Blake asked worriedly, though no one seemed to produce a possible answer at the moment.

Yang, equally as afraid as everyone in the room, took a moment to look out the room's window, to see if anything could give a clue. She looked down, and saw a plethora of students rushing towards somewhere. It seemed like they got the memo like they did.

"Well, it looks like everyone else is heading there," Yang claimed, getting everyone's attention. "Maybe we should go see?"

At that, everyone looked at each other apprehensively. What was going to happen if they went down to confront the coming Grimm? One of them would certainly recognize them, the students encountered a large number of them, the day they discovered them. As if looking for a tie-breaker, everyone looked to Ruby. She was possibly one of the most affected by these Grimm. She attempted to negotiate with them, which seemed to have been working until they forced the students to leave. Not to mention, the incident forced Ruby to leave behind her beloved Crescent Rose.

Ruby was shy under everyone's gaze, but she knew that something had to be done about this. Gathering enough courage for what they were about to do, Ruby met everyone's gaze, with expression mixed with determination and anxiety. Ruby nodded her head, clearly implying what they were going to do. They were going to see what the Grimm Apes wanted.

* * *

There they were. Stationed right in front of Beacon's front gates was an army of Grimm that resembled apes. Many of them rode horses and many more were carrying spears. They were informed that they arrived in Vale, and how they hurt no one the moment they marched through the city. Now, they were at Beacon's front door, and they could be seen in full view from headmaster Ozpin's office, atop Beacon Tower.

From Ozpin's office, he and professor Glynda Goodwitch gazed down at the army in front of the school. Goodwitch stared down at the spectacle, completely stunned by what she saw. Never had there been a time when Glynda Goodwitch was proved wrong by her students, never until now. Now she was gazing at the impossible, but she dearly wished that everything was a bad nightmare and hoped that she would wake up soon.

On the other hand, Ozpin was as stoic as ever. Even as he gazed down at the Grimm Apes, there was no hint of disbelief in his expression or his eyes. He never really made it clear whether he believed the students' reports or not. If he hadn't before then, at least, he believed teams RWBY and JNPR now. Either way, the stone faced headmaster merely observed the army of Grimm at his school.

"It… i-it can't be…" Goodwitch muttered, astonished by the sight of this army. She had previously believed that it was merely an excuse by her students but now, she couldn't possibly disparage the proof before her.

"I suppose the students were speaking the truth," stated Ozpin, to which Glynda did not reply. If there was anything that could shock her further right now, it would be Ozpin's lenient attitude towards the situation.

"Though I must say, they did get one thing wrong," he mentioned offhandedly, peaking Glynda's curiosity somewhat.

"What…?" Glynda asked him. If Ozpin could deduce something about these strange Grimm that the students didn't, she would like to know what that was exactly. Ozpin turned to look her straight in the eye and answer her directly.

"There is certainly much more than eighty of them," he deadpanned.

Before Glynda could scold Ozpin for a trivial correction like that, his scroll began to ring. Ozpin reached in his right pocket and pulled out his vibrating scroll, checking on who was calling him. Deciding that it was worth taking the call, Ozpin tapped on his scroll and brought it to his ear.

"James," he addressed the caller by name.

General James Ironwood was the head of Atlas' military and Atlas Academy, the kingdom's Huntsman academy. For a long time, Ironwood had managed his kingdom into a peaceful state, through the show of his military's might. No terrorist threat would dare lay their hands on Atlas, knowing of their power. Though Atlas was the most technologically advanced of the kingdoms, its military influenced government could be considered its least advanced aspect. In his hubris, Ironwood believed that peace could also achieved in the other kingdoms if his armies were there to 'supervise' it. Though Ironwood's show of force was affective for his kingdom's people, those outside of Atlas saw it as him taking away their freedom.

Ironwood was an old, close friend of Ozpin's and Glynda's; they would always keep each other updated on vital information. Recently, Ozpin told the General of a digital text message that another ally of theirs, a spy of sorts, had sent to Ozpin. It was an alarming yet ambiguous message, which only said 'the Queen has pawns'. Because of the ominous message, Ironwood resorted to bringing a small fleet to reside in Vale. Ozpin and Ironwood have disagreed on the use of force before and now, the former believing that such actions would certainly give the wrong impression. Glynda especially disagreed with Ironwood, believing that the show of force was childish, a typical act that men would do.

Nonetheless, he already has his forces setup in Vale. Ironwood was a good man, whose intentions were well meaning. Ozpin and Glynda knew that very well. However, the problem was that those that didn't know him personally would be the farthest from understanding his actions.

"Oz, are you seeing this?" asked Ironwood to the headmaster of Beacon. Clearly, the Atlas General was referring to the horde of strange Grimm.

"I'm standing in my office," Ozpin informed the General. "I can see the Grimm clearly at our doorstep." At that James cursed, frustrated that these Grimm weren't prevented from approaching Beacon in time.

"Dammit, I didn't hear of them sooner," he claimed. Ironwood hadn't sent any Atlas soldiers to patrol the city of Vale. The only ones who saw the Grimm at the time were the citizens, and knowledge from witnesses could only go so far to reach the officials' ears. However, Ironwood knew what to do in this situation. "… Don't worry, I'll call in a squadron to confront them–!"

"That won't be necessary, James," Ozpin claimed in interruption, surprising both Ironwood and Goodwitch. James was loud enough to be heard on the scroll, so she was able to hear both sides of the conversation.

"What?" James asked, confused that Ozpin refused the support of his soldiers. Was he, the old headmaster of Beacon, thinking that his inexperienced students could take on this entire horde?

"I've heard that they have harmed no one as of yet," Ozpin explained to James. "We'll wait and see what they want."

Hearing his old friend's reasons, James was dumbfounded. How could Ozpin think like that? No one in their right mind would consider waiting for a Grimm to make the first move. It was comparable to giving up in a chess game, which is a terrible strategy. And even worse, the side that strikes first would be the more likely to win. It was an old philosophy of battle that was constantly proven right, time and again.

"Ozpin, they're nothing but wild Grimm!" James exasperatedly exclaimed. "They could attack your students the moment they see them."

"Right now, I'm doubting that is their intentions," Ozpin proclaimed, further surprising his colleagues. "I'll call you if I think otherwise, James."

"Oz, wait–!"

Ozpin hung up his scroll, taking no time to hear Ironwood's plea. As he moved to return his scroll to his pocket, his flabbergasted assistant gawked at him with nervous eyes. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face as Glynda tried and tried again to comprehend what Ozpin was even planning for this terrible situation. As he put away his scroll, Ozpin took a moment to gaze down at the Grimm army through his office window once more, until he realized Glynda was staring at him. He looked at his assistant, waiting for her to speak her mind.

"… Do you know what you are doing?" she cautiously asked him. Ozpin was silent for a short moment, thinking of what he could possibly tell her, before answering the stern professor.

"Would you believe me if I said 'yes'?" Ozpin asked her. He sounded unsure of himself.

"Not right now, no," Glynda admitted. Though she hated to say it, she couldn't know for the life of her why Ozpin was giving the Grimm, of all creatures, a chance. Ozpin eyed her before returning his gaze to the Grimm at his academy.

"Unfortunately, neither would I," he said in conclusion. Confirming that Ozpin himself was uncertain of what should be done, Glynda's confidence was starting to sink. They gazed at the horde for another moment, before Ozpin strolled down his office, heading for the tower's elevator, with Glynda following close behind him. They entered once the elevator came to them and headed down. It was time to see what these Grimm Apes wanted.

* * *

When one would go down the academy's main avenue, pass the massive colonnades bisected by the avenue, and go around the school's statue, they would be standing directly in front of the front gates, the doorway to Beacon. It was a large an impressive structure, with two large, brown, wooden doors built in the center. When the doorway opens to the outside, students, staff, visitors and all are led to see the academy's many buildings, such as the amphitheater, lecture hall, library, and ballroom to name a few. With the academy's magnitude and the magnificent motif it sported, Beacon inarguably had the astonishing guise of a medieval castle.

At this hour, no one had the time to behold the academy's beauty though. Almost the entirety of the school's populace of staff and students were gathered behind the large doorway. On the other side, an army was waiting for them. Fear was growing among the crowd, as they were certain that this massive horde would come sprawling into the academy, eager to consume every last one of them. Some students were so certain of this, they had already brought their weapons with them and donned their battle gear. Teams RWBY and JNPR struggled to pass through the congested area, heading to be at the front of the panicked crowd.

As they got to the position they wanted successfully, they saw two people there already: Headmaster Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch. The two were gazing at the gate, until they turned to see who was gazing at them. Upon seeing each other, most of the members of RWBY and JNPR donned worried expressions, knowing what was on the other side. Yang and Nora however, the two brash members of their respective teams, wore indescribable expressions that were the equivalent of saying _'we told you_ so'. The students were right, and they dismissed them for only telling the truth. As she realized her fault, Glynda looked to the ground shamefully, knowing that what she thought was an excuse was now standing in front of Beacon's doorway. Ozpin, on the other hand, was able to keep up his stoic expression, but he knew now that he was wrong in disbelieving them.

Enough time was being wasted; they had an enemy to confront. Ozpin reached for the scroll in his pocket, a second time he did so today. He outstretched his arm, pointed towards the doorway with his scroll, and tapped on the touchscreen. Due to the size and weight of the gate's doors, they couldn't be pushed open on their own. So, a simple automatic system was installed and the doors could be opened by a mere use of an application, and the they could stay open for a long period of time, until the system's app was used to close them. Now, as the great doors slowly opened, they revealed the army of Grimm Apes to the crowd in an epic fashion.

There they were in all of their glory, engulfing the entire school's main avenue. How strange they were, as they looked more like the apes they resembled than the Grimm they were; how bizarre they were, with their lack of bony armor and their humanoid eyes in plain sight; and how organized they were, as they rode horses and carried spears. There were many of them, and though the students prepared for an attack, not a single one of them moved forward. It was a standstill. The Grimm Apes stayed on the main avenue, observing the many student Hunters before them. Some of the Grimm took to climbing the individual trees planted along the avenue. A few others chose to climb the school's statue.

It was an old piece of architecture that represented the dynamic between the Huntsmen and the Grimm – the hero versus the monster. It portrayed a Huntsman and Huntress standing atop a large rock. The Huntress stood with a large axe in her hand, while the Huntsman posed with his sword raised up, pointing to the sky. Under the rock was the figure of a Grimm, a Beowolf, cowering beneath the two hunters above it. It was a representation of two brave heroes combating a cowardly monster. To see four or five of these Grimm Apes on top of the statue would be called a desecration by some of the students, and staff even.

The standoff continued, which made Ruby more nervous by the second. She, her team, and Jaune's team remembered that these Grimm were nonviolent. Of course, that's why everyone else was confused that they were not acting like typical Grimm. If no one was going to do anything, this could possibly go on for hours. Deciding that a risk was necessary, Ruby started to walk away from the crowd and towards the Grimm Apes. One of them was bound to recognize her, and she hoped that would ease any sort of tensions. As her team and peers saw Ruby move towards the army, they were immediately scared for her safety.

"Ruby?" said Yang questionably, unsure of what her little sister was thinking.

"Ruby, get back here! Now!" Weiss demanded of her team leader, certain that what the younger girl was doing was suicidal.

However, her stern words fell onto deaf ears as Ruby kept walking. As Ruby kept moving towards the Grimm Apes, she could see them in more detail. One Grimm she recognized, who had a stern face and was at the front and center of the army. She recognized that one as their leader. The one who spoke.

"Ms. Rose!" Ruby winced when she heard her last name called out so sharply. She turned to see the one addressing her from a short distance, an angry Professor Goodwitch who was glaring at her.

"You will return this instant–!" Before she could order Ruby to turn back, Goodwitch was interrupted by Ozpin himself, who put his hand on her shoulder, affectively distracting her when she looked towards the headmaster, startled and confused. Ozpin stared at her for moment until he turned his gaze to Ruby, and gave a nod to the red clad girl. Ruby blinked a few times, until she gained a determined expression, turned back to facing the Grimm, and resumed walking towards them. Glynda gawked at Ozpin in bewilderment for what had conspired.

"O-Ozpin, what are you–!" she attempted to ask him of his reasons for letting Ruby go.

"They won't harm her, Glynda," he claimed, further shocking Goodwitch. "Let this play out, for now."

"And just how do you know that, sir?" Glynda skeptically asked him.

"… Call it an old man's hunch."

Ruby stopped walking when she felt that the position she was in now was good enough. Where she was standing now was almost in the exact center of the distance between the school and the Grimm. As soon as she stopped, the leader of the Grimm Apes moved with his horse towards her. After a moment's pass, the leader stood directly in front of Ruby, and it looked down to gaze upon her. Ruby found herself a little unnerved as she looked at up at the leader, the serious expression it had was unlike anything she'd seen before. Even Professor Goodwitch could not equal the aura of intimidation this Grimm had.

"Um… hi?" Ruby meekly attempted to greet him, but she received no response from the stoic leader. All he did was make a single blink at her.

The leader than raised his head to see the academy's many students, gathered together to see these strange Grimm, like himself. They were assembled like an audience, eager for the next act. The leader took inhaled, as if preparing for some action he was about to make.

"APES!" And the crowd went wild.

The leader spoke so suddenly, his thunderous bellow instantly astounding everyone. A collective gasp of breath emitted from the multitude of people. This was the very first time that any of them heard a Grimm of all thinks speak, save for teams RWBY and RWBY, which was unknown to everyone else. Several of the students yelped in shock; a few of the staff members muttered in disbelief. Glynda gawked at the Grimm, her mouth hanging wide open as a few drops of sweat rolled down her face; her composure had completely failed her at this moment. Ozpin too was shocked, his stoic façade cracking as his eyes widened by the minute. Ruby, though she knew what this Grimm was capable of, winced at the volume of the leader's voice.

"Are not! Grimm!" the leader continued, his sentence sounding like it was broken up. Ruby gazed at the leader confusedly, unsure of what he was getting at. How did he mean that they weren't Grimm? Though they appeared more like apes, there were still noticeable aspects they shared with a normal specimen of a Grimm. Was he speaking figuratively?

"Grimm kill Humans and Faunus! … Apes do not!" he shouted. Though many of the students were puzzled by his words, blinded by their original conceptions of the Grimm, Ruby got a better understanding of it. He claimed that the Grimm Apes, his people, do not have the murderous cravings which other Grimm have. They were not man eaters or killers, they were only themselves: apes. However, it would be difficult to get certain people to believe such words.

"Apes!" the leader resumed. "Do not! Want! War!" despite his broken sentence, the crowd of beacon students and staff heard him clearly, and were surprised to hear such a claim. These intelligent, bizarre Grimm, who came to Vale and Beacon as an army, riding horses and armed with spears, were here just to say they wanted peace? These Grimm were getting stranger by the second. Ruby was amazed that they took such lengths just to declare something like this. It was just so unlike a Grimm of them to do this.

"But… will fight!" then, the leader pronounced a warning. "If… we must!"

Despite such twists and turns were made today, the leader was successful in being taken seriously. Of course they wanted peace, but they were not above retaliation. Even if the leader hadn't warned them what they would do, they were still feared as beasts. It was more familiar, somewhat, for the students to hear the leader say something partially threatening, since he was a Grimm after all.

The leader paused for a moment, allowing the crowd to absorb his words. Then, he returned his gaze to Ruby, who looked up at him with astonishment. She was amazed by the events that just transpired. The leader turned to gaze directly towards an ape to his left, a signal for it to come to him and the girl. The ape he addressed dismounted its horse, and walked towards them. Ruby recognized this ape too; it was one of the first two Grimm Apes she, her team, and JNPR met. It was the one with the blue eyes and the two long scars on its chest. In other words, he was the one that wasn't shot. As the ape stepped in front of her, Ruby saw in its left hand. Something she thought she would never see again.

Ruby gasped with surprise and excitement. "Crescent Rose!" she happily exclaimed.

In the ape's hand was her beloved weapon, aptly named Crescent Rose, in storage form. On the third day of team's and JNPR's mission at 'West Dragon', she dropped her weapon when the two teams first encountered the Grimm Apes. She was forced to abandon it, as the Grimm Apes approached them threateningly to get them to leave, and they were scared by what they would have done to them. Built from scratch by her hands, Ruby thought dearly of this versatile tool, her masterpiece. To leave it behind was like giving up her soul and cutting herself off from emotion. She had to put on a mask of confidence, to hide her depression when she did not have her sweetheart for the past hours. Seeing it return to her made Ruby's heart soar.

As the blue eyed ape was about to throw the tool to her, Ruby used her speed semblance to take it. In a rush of red flower petals, she hastily tore it from the ape's grasp, ignoring its surprised expression. She then sped back to where she was previously standing and turned her back to the apes, so that she could admire her weapon. Ruby clicked on a button, and her weapon shifted and transformed, from its box-like storage form to its large scythe form. As Ruby gazed at her weapon with stars in her eyes, the Grimm were frightened, hooting in shock and fearing she may be taking a position to attack them.

Ruby didn't make a move for an attack, though, as she did just the opposite. Ruby started hugging her weapon Crescent Rose, cradling it, fueled by all of the emotions she had for her beloved, unreplaceable creation

"Oh my dearest sweetheart, I missed you so!" she spoke amorously to the red scythe. "I missed you, I missed you, I missed you!"

The entire situation with the Grimm Apes, a wholesomely serious one, was turned upside down by Ruby's childlike behavior. Her friends and teammates stared at her oddly, while Yang let out a nervous chuckle, knowing full well that this was how her little sister would act. Glynda closed her eyes and tried to calm herself from publicly berating Ruby for acting this way; Ozpin merely raised an eyebrow in puzzlement, wondering how Ruby was able to be like this in such a dire matter. Suddenly, Ruby stopped coddling her weapon and gasped. She didn't thank the Grimm Apes for doing such a kind thing for her. So she immediately turned to face them directly.

"Thank you so much for–! … huh?" she attempted to show her gratitude, until she saw how the two apes before her, and the army of apes behind them were looking at her oddly.

The first ape, the leader, gave Ruby a perplexed and tense look for how she was acting. He seemed upset that his declaration was interrupted by her immature reaction to getting her weapon back; he appeared tense as well, worried that the girl may attack without warning. He must have seen something or someone like this before. The army behind were as tense as he was, if not more, preparing for any sign that a battle was about to break out. The second ape, the blue eyed one, had an expression that made Ruby the most nervous. He was utterly disgusted by what she was doing. It was clear as day that he was confused, disturbed, and angered by how Ruby was acting, right in front of the apes no less.

Ruby blinked at them, worried by what may or may not happen. She realized that her reaction may have caused a misunderstanding among the Grimm Apes, and thy may retaliate because of it. She was immediately regretting her carelessness. Ruby turned around to see her friends, teachers, and other students giving similar expressions towards her misbehavior. She then turned back to the two apes before her, with an anxious and apologetic expression.

"Um… uh, thanks… eh-heh," she nervously attempted to amend her actions, emitting a nervous chuckle at the end.

The blue eyed ape seemed to not accept her apology though, as he scoffed at her and hurried to return to his horse. Ruby looked on in regret as the disturbed ape stomped away from her, but she could do no more about it. She clicked a button on her Crescent Rose, transforming it back to storage form, and latched it onto her back. The army of Grimm, the academy's students and staff, and the leader himself sighed in relief and relaxed, now that the misunderstanding was cleared up. As soon as the chance of conflict was averted, the leader resumed delivering his message. The leader inhaled sharply, and spoke again.

"Ape! … Home!" as he shouted, he threw his arm behind him and pointed to his army of apes. Before speaking again, he raised his other arm, pointing to the many students and staff at Beacon. "Human! … Faunus! … Home!"

Though he spoke few words, the final piece of his message was clearly understood by the crowd. The apes had their home, both the Humans and Faunus had theirs. No one would trespass into another's home and if they did, it would mean war. That was their message. They were truly the oddest type of Grimm on the face of Remnant; they traveled far from their homes to announce a message for a truce; and the only action they would take against the humans and Faunus is retaliation.

What was most impactful of the leader's statement was the audience he told it to – an entire school full of Huntsmen and Huntresses in training. These Grimm, who are supposed to represent everything dark and evil in this world, made a chance for peace between them and the Hunters, those who are supposed to represent everything bright and good. Basically, the heroes were being offered peace by the monsters.

The leader wasn't finished with speaking, however. As he lowered his arm, he returned his gaze to Ruby once again, who was still reeling from her immaturity. As she looked at him meekly, he returned her gaze with a stern glower, silently telling her that the matter was to be taken seriously. There was no room for children in a critical time like this.

"Do not… come… back," he forewarned her. In response to his stern words, and still feeling the throes of guilt for her action, Ruby anxiously nodded in compliance.

Now the leader was finished. With their mission completed, the leader guided his horse to the right, his mount neighing in response. Soon his army followed suit; the sound of the horses' neighs and the Grimm Apes' pant-hoots filling the air as they turned to leave. Ruby watched them start leaving, walking up the academy's main avenue, away from the school itself. As she herself was about turn back to her friends, Ruby saw an ape, on horse, moving towards her.

It was an ape of the same build and design of the leader, only darker in complexion and slightly shorter. It had one blue colored eye, only one, as its other eye was milky white, and a large scar on its face ran over it. The ape was too horrifying and hideous to look at, and the glare it was giving Ruby made it worse. Its mouth was open, emitting a soft snarl. Its single, functioning eye appeared to burn with anger, the tiny red flecks in its eye glowing. Ruby took a step back in fear, unsettled and frightened by the anger this ape was so generously expressing at her. It glared at her for a moment longer, until the ape guided his horse forward and rejoined its comrades. Ruby sighed in relief, and finally turned to walk back to her team. Yang was able to see the look that Grimm gave her sister, and her opinion of that specific Grimm lowered for scaring Ruby.

As Ruby returned to the crowd of students she, along with everyone else, gazed at the leaving army. The Grimm Apes left Beacon by traveling down the large bridge made of leaves, vines and wood, which sprouted from Beacon's cliffside.

…

When did that get there?

* * *

If there was a god that existed and if they were listening, Caesar would pray to them, so that his people could earn peace.

Their declaration was delivered successfully to the young Hunters; he was certain that many of them understood the meaning of his words. However, Caesar was afraid that they misinterpreted everything. He knew both sides to the Humans and Faunus, and he knew that there were too many on the bad side. They could organize a force, like those eight Hunters they first encountered, to attack the colony. Then again, they could have attacked him while he was speaking but the Hunters did not. Caesar didn't know for sure what was going to happen, so all he could do was wait for the future.

Even though Caesar was able to deliver his speech in full, the apes almost attacked the Hunters and their castle. His intent for peace were so close to have been ruined, because of that girl in red. He remembered that she attempted to communicate with him, back in the forest, and that she dropped her red weapon when she left. He had the weapon brought to her out of his goodwill, to prove that he nor his people were not violent, mindless Grimm. But the girl, that damn girl, the moment she saw that thing, she acted like a little girl who reunited with an old lost doll. If she acted any more drastically, the army could have taken it as an aggressive instigation and would certainly have retaliated against her. Thankfully, she saw that her reaction was wrong, and averted the matter herself. Despite his anger with the incident, Caesar felt sympathetic for her, when she showed guilt for her immature behavior.

That incident also reminded Caesar of something he disliked about the Humans and Faunus: their love for weapons. Guns in particular. Their culture and societies revolved around weapons; their need to defend themselves from forces, like the Grimm, were warped by their desires for stylish, advanced weapons. It was incidental that the girl was a weapon lover. Although, Caesar knew that the Hunters were the most associated with weapons, so he should have realized that she had a love for them in the first place. Caesar detested weapons and violence. He viewed such things as a primitive instinct that Humans and Faunus hadn't evolved from, but he and the Grimm Apes have. They only use their spears for hunting, and any infighting would be quickly resolved. It was one of the reasons Caesar believed the Grimm Apes were more evolutionarily advanced.

As Caesar traveled down the bridge of plants on his horse, linked between the Hunters' school and the large city, he turned to see his son next to him, sulking. Blue Eyes still wore a disgusted expression, since the girl's childish reactions. Blue Eyes did not know much of the Hunters, he was before the apes left to create their colony. He did not know of their love for weapons, so he didn't understand why the girl, of her age no less, was so affectionate towards a tool like that, made for killing. Caesar realized that he did not teach his son much of the Humans' and Faunus' many good or evil qualities, and felt bad for such neglect.

Caesar hooted to get his son's attention. When Blue Eyes turned to look at his father, who showed concern for him

 _What's wrong?_ Caesar asked in sign. Blue Eyes sighed in attempt to relieve some stress, before he responded.

 _That girl… treats weapon like person_ , he said; _Like a loved one. I don't understand_. Blue Eyes didn't like how she cradled the killing tool or how she spoke to it; he never wanted to see something like that again. Caesar could clearly see how unsettled his son was.

 _Some can't be understood, Blue Eyes_ , Caesar told him, hoping Blue Eyes wouldcomprehend his wisdom. _I understand people loving weapons the least._

At that, Blue Eyes looked at his father surprised. He didn't think that his opinion was shared by his father. Of course, any of the apes would be unsettled by how the human coddled her weapon, but Blue Eyes was too focused on his lack of understanding to realize that.

 _One day, weapons will not be needed_ , Caesar told Blue Eyes. He ended the conversation by guiding his horse further head, focusing on the return trip to their colony, leaving Blue Eyes to himself as other apes passed him. Even though Blue Eyes admired his father for such words, he was having difficulty with believing them this time. He saw how that girl reacted when she took back her weapon, how she cradled and showed it affection like a child. Right now, the apes lived in a world where the Humans and Faunus worshiped the tools of murder. Blue Eyes couldn't believe his father because of how violent these Hunters were.

How could this world possibly outlive the corruption of weapons?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note, 8/19/17 (from FanFiction.net):
> 
> Welcome back to this story. Now, I know I said something along the lines of my second story, Team JGJO, was going to be updated first, but… I pretty much changed my mind. I was working on the outline for the second chapter's dialogue in Team JGJO, but I came up on a roadblock when I couldn't figure out how to write the chapter down. I couldn't visualize how things were going to happen, even though I had the White Trailer to refer to. Then, however, I saw War for the Planet of the Apes, and I was immediately enveloped by thoughts about this story and I almost immediately got to work on it. It took me some time to work on the chapter, but I've pulled through to get it published tonight. Also, I prefer to work on whatever I'm in the mood for anyway. If anyone checked up on my profile, I did have some kind of schedule set up, but I got rid of that when that system didn't really work out for me.
> 
> Another reason, probably the most important one, that this chapter came up first is because of the scene it was based on. The scene in Dawn, where Caesar announces a truce between the ape colony and the human settlement, is a really powerful one. It showcases Caesar's ability to communicate clearly in speech, and the impact his ability has on humans. His speech was pretty well written too, so what I wanted to do here was explain each part of declaration in paragraphs, such as the meaning behind this part, "Apes are not Grimm." That way, in doing so, it would be a clear explanation to readers that described the deeper meanings of Caesar's message. Also, I added the part "Apes are not Grimm," obviously, since this is a RWBY crossover and the apes are "Grimm" in this story.
> 
> So, I'm certain you all saw how the apes arrived in Vale… via a bridge made of plants… that precariously rose from the sea… conveniently as Caesar walked on the bridge. I think the cat's out of the bag now, especially since a few reviewers mentioned it last chapter; the Grimm Apes have auras and semblances. This is one of the reasons the Grimm Apes are not purely Grimm. What I mean by the Grimm Apes not being pure Grimm, and how they even have auras & semblances in the first place, I will not say. All will be revealed in the distant future.
> 
> Other than that, I thought it would be fun to have Sun encounter a Grimm Ape, since his Faunus trait is a monkey's tail. Also, I wanted to take an opportunity to give Nora a spotlight, which is the reason why I written for her to tell her team and RWBY about the incoming Grimm Apes.
> 
> That's all I got. What I'm gonna do next is try to publish two more stories, one of them is going to be a surprise. Team JGJO chapter 2 won't be out for a while; I'm kind of debating on what to do with that story at the moment. If you've got the time, write a review, drop a favorite, and make a follow on this story. See ya.


	5. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ownership:
> 
> RWBY is owned by creator Monty Oum, God rest his soul, and Rooster Teeth Productions.  
> Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is owned by 20th Century Fox, Chenrin Entertainment, and TSG Entertainment.
> 
> I, the humble author of this fan-work, own absolutely nothing, gain no profit whatsoever, and wish only to express my writing and love for these fandoms artistically.
> 
> /–\–/–\–/–\–/–\–/–\–/–\–/–\
> 
> Chapter does contain strong adult language. Just warnin' ya. Also, Volume 5 has fucked me up.

Chapter 5: Revelations

_Afternoon, around two._

* * *

Waiting is often an awfully testing process. It is the practice of passing time for something to happen. People often waited for something they dearly wanted. However, there isn't a sane person in the world who'd attest to actually enjoy even a moment of waiting; no one liked it, plain and simple. Waiting came in the way of one's desire, testing their patience, and irritating their otherwise uncaring attitude. Besides, not everyone got what they wanted when they waited so long for it. Those who couldn't wait and hated the thought of it would be called impatient and high-strung, while those who did wait were considered wise and patient. The truth is, one who waits doesn't do it just to do it, and they didn't like waiting either. People who could wait were merely tolerant enough to do it.

But if there was anyone who could wait, no matter how long they had to, there was this woman. This woman was waiting now in fact, sitting on a meager chair with her legs crossed and her hands over her lap. She sat within an abandoned, broken down warehouse, surrounded by old wooden crates. Waiting along with her were two teenagers and a man. One of the teens, a boy, sat on top a table with a grinning and nonchalant expression. The other, a girl, was standing next to the boy, who wore a more serious face compared to him. The man was the least patient, pacing along the floor as they waited for whatever was to come.

The woman was clothed in a short, dark red dress with a triangular tail hanging from the back, her shoulders bare, and yellow designs patterned on the arms of the dress. Under the dress she wore black shorts, and wore black high heel shoes made of glass. For accessories, she had an ornament of blue-green feathers on the right side of her dress, a black fabric choker around her neck, and a black gem hanging from a gold loop earing. Her hair was ashen black, draped over her left shoulder, and she had bright, sharp eyes the color of amber. On her back was a tattoo, visible through a diamond-shaped opening on her dress, which depicted two high heel shoes placed sole to sole, forming a heart within the space between. Her name is Cinder Fall, a mysterious woman with a malicious ambition.

The boy was Mercury Black, the son of a famed assassin. He wore a gray and black jacket, with a zipper that ended halfway down the shirt. On his arms were sets of armor braces. He had black pants with a gray stripe, a sash with his emblem, resembling a winged shoe, draped over his pants from behind, and wore black, steel-tipped boots with rotary chambers containing what looked like bullets. His hair and eyes were a matching silver-gray, the former unkempt and slicked back at the same time.

The girl was Emerald Sustrai, a skilled thief and an avid follower of Cinder's. She wore an intricate white top, combined with a olive-green shallow-cut crop top; her midriff and back exposed. She had white pants with brown chaps over them, two belts wrapped over them, and high heel shoes. On the back of her top was her emblem, resembling a cut gem. Her skin was a medium dark tone, her eyes dark red and her hair mint-green, cut with a straight fringe and bangs, with two long locks on each side in the back.

The man, a Faunus, was Adam Taurus, a high-ranking member of the White Fang. He wore a black trench coat, with long sleeves slit at the end, buttoned halfway and positioned asymmetrically, revealing a red shirt underneath. On the top left side of the coat is a red design with a white symbol over it, and on the back of the coat is his emblem of a red wilting rose over white floral patterns. On his black gloves were red colored variants of the Omega symbol. Lastly, he wore black pants and black shoes with red soles. His hair was mostly a rosy red with streaks and portions of brown, and he wore a dirty-white mask with red markings that covered the top half of his face. His animal trait of two sharp bull horns stuck out from his hair.

Yes, they were waiting. Waiting for two more members of the their assembly – Roman Torchwick, the infamous and classy villain of Vale's underworld, and his pretty little sadist and "friend", who was simply named Neopolitan. As the girls of team RWBY had discovered, Roman was indeed in alliance with the White Fang, but it was more than that. All of them were under the thumb of Cinder, someone who seemingly came from nowhere but somehow promised them their lifelong goals and desires, and also had the resources to back them up. Neither Roman or Adam knew who she was, why she's helping them, or what her own goals really were. It didn't matter, however, as long as they got what they wanted from working under her.

That was related to what Cinder wanted to discuss with them. She called for a meeting in order to announce her next action in her plans and to discuss what everyone's role was going to be in this step. That call was made over an hour ago; the criminal nor his henchwoman haven't arrived yet. Though he was a classy man, he wasn't one who usually showed up fashionably late. In fact, he was usually the one everyone came to for meetings like these. However, such an occurrence wouldn't happen with him knowing.

Cinder could wait for him, because she would find some joy in _reminding_ Torchwick not to waste her time. Emerald and Mercury could wait too, as they would taunt the criminal for his tardiness, though perhaps they couldn't wait as long as Cinder. Adam on the other hand was impulsive by nature, so he couldn't wait very long, hence his impatient pacing.

"Your petty criminal is wasting my time," he said, stopping midstride in his pacing to address Cinder with the current problem. In response, she turned her head to him and opened her eyes, which were previously closed.

"Patience. He will come," she told him, with confidence in her words, though it didn't seem to please Adam.

"If he doesn't, I won't stay any longer," he claimed.

"Hey, chill man," spoke Mercury, his tone cool and indifferent to Adam's anger. The Faunus turned to him. "We let him know this is going on, so he'll come."

"And how do you know that?" asked Adam.

"Because Cinder reminded him before, not to delay with her orders," said Emerald.

"And when he comes, I'll remind him again," added Cinder. "So have patience, Adam."

Her tone was cold and curt, and offered no options for Adam to retort. All he did was scowl, and returned to his pacing. Cinder went back to her own business, closing her eyes and waiting for the late criminals.

"Though, I gotta admit," said Mercury, speaking to Emerald. "I'm pissed he's not here too."

"What's your problem with him?" she asked, slightly surprised that Mercury confessed to a grudge.

"Nothin'. I just _hate_ waiting," he said bluntly with a smirk. Emerald rolled her eyes at Mercury's lacking of reason.

Suddenly, everyone heard the large doors to the warehouse burst open. Emerald and Mercury looked up, Adam stopped pacing once more to see, and Cinder opened her eyes to have Roman Torchwick and Neopolitan come running into her view.

Torchwick had his typical white suit with red-lining inside, wearing simple long black pants and black shoes. He had a gray scarf, black gloves with buckled sleeves, a black bowler hat with a feather tucked into the hat's red band, and a cigar in his mouth. His hair was a bright orange, with long bangs covering his right eye, while his visible left eye, green in color, was traced with black eyeliner. In his right hand he tightly held onto his cane and weapon, Melodic Cudgel.

Neopolitan, "Neo" for short, wore an attire that fit well with her name. She wore a white jacket with a pink interior, which was cut just below her breasts; under the jacket she has a brown corset on, slightly exposing her hips. She wore black gloves, brown pants, and black and white high heeled boots. Around her neck she wore several necklaces, and she carries an umbrella with white, pink, and brown design patterns. Her hair is three colors, one side pink and the other brown, with white streaks on the pink side. Her eyes are two differing colors, her left eye pink and her right brown. Her most distinctive feature, however, was her rather short stature, which was likely to throw off any of her opponents.

"About time," said Emerald, speaking for everyone who were waiting.

Cinder stood up from her chair, and strode over to the criminal duo. It was time to get the meeting into action but she had to do some _reminding_ first. Roman's and Neo's late arrival was akin to failure, and failure was not something Cinder would tolerate. Oh, how she was going to enjoy forcing this into Roman's head.

"Roman~," she called out to him, seemingly in a seductive manner. "Did you forget what we've discussed in… private?"

Cinder stopped herself when she got a good, close look at the two; they were completely exhausted. Both of them bent over, their hands on their knees, attempting to catch their breath. She could see sweat dripping down to the floor from both of them. She could honestly say that she'd never seen either of the two in such conditions. Roman didn't have his smug grin plastered on his face, nor did Neo have that smile of hers that hid some sort of mischievous intent. Instead, both of their expressions were wrought with exhaustion.

Cinder was curious. Was this the reason they were so late? Did something cause them to forget her meeting? She thought that may have been the case. They learned of something at the last minute and after spending time to focus on that news, it caused them to rush to the place of assembly. That must have been it. What could have delayed them? Was it something so trite that it could infuriate her? Or… would it be something that could actually make her concerned?

Adam took notices of the criminals' exhausted states too, forgetting of his earlier impatience with their lateness and letting curiosity take him as well. "You both seem short of breath," he said the obvious.

"NO… SHIT!" said Roman insultingly, in-between breaths. Behind his mask, Adam glared at the serial criminal.

Mercury laughed at Roman for his shaken stature. "What, you forgot we had this gig and remembered Cinder will kick your ass if–!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP! I've got my reasons! Where's a goddamn TV?!"

Mercury was hit with shock, and stared at Roman with wide eyes. Roman wasn't one for abrupt interruptions or desperate pleas. Everyone gazed at him and Neo, who obviously shared Roman's expression. No one knew why he was so out of character. With the subject of the meeting aside, everyone wanted to understand what was bothering them so much

"What the hell's up with you?" asked Emerald.

"Oh, you'll see what's up!" Roman declared, then returned to demanding for television. "Get a TV on! Or a scroll! Or whatever the FUCK we got!"

"We have a projector here Roman," Cinder informed, "but explain yourself first. What is this about?"

"You'll see what it's about if you get the news on! Seriously, it's bat shit crazy!"

The others looked at each other, contemplating if whether or not this was worth going forward with. However, if they were going to make him calm down and learn what troubled him like this, then now was the time to do it.

Mercury brought out the projector and turned it on. It emitted a light from the center of the device, then released a tangible, holographic screen. They turned on the Vale News Network channel and a headline reading as 'breaking news' was displayed on screen. Lisa Lavender, the VNN's most decorated reporter and anchorwoman, was presented to the villains. She was recognizable by her iconic lavender hair, yellow eyes, and black jacket over a purple shirt.

"Everyone, prepare to lose your shit," Roman proclaimed, and Lavender began her report.

"Good afternoon people of Vale," she greeted, "this is Lisa Lavender of the Vale News Network. At the moment, our top story is still coverage of the recent advent that took place just moments ago. It has been over an hour, but citizens are still panicking over, what some citizens have been calling, the 'Grimm Apes' having come into our city."

* * *

Panic gripped the people of Vale. Chaos flooded down the city's streets. The Kingdom itself was wrought with disorder. No man, woman, or child felt at ease with the terrifying event they witnessed. Not even the infants were relaxed, as they cried as loudly as their underdeveloped lungs would allow them. The citizens were crowded on the streets and the very road of the city itself, and they were close to rioting. Vehicles were trapped by the panicked crowds, with their passengers still inside or merely abandoned. Despite the amount of people crowding each other, they rushed to the only place they could find answers – the city's capitol building.

It was about more than an hour thirty minutes after the Grimm arrived in the city. A whole army of them had gotten past any Hunters present in the city or the Atlas military forces stationed there. However, these Grimm were not ordinary whatsoever. They were like apes in appearance but lacking many typical features of normal Grimm, and the strange 'Grimm Apes' were somehow armed with spears and riding horses. Real and actual animals, not Grimm, accompanied these Grimm and didn't seem to be bothered by them. Even so, not a single Human or Faunus was attacked; the Grimm only marched through the city until they stopped at Beacon Academy, of all places. Atlas hadn't gotten immediate word of the Grimm in the city, and the news networks got to the chance report on the Grimm when they got to Beacon. Then, the greatest shock of the day was revealed. One of them **spoke**.

It was astonishing and horrifying at the same time. The mere thought of a Grimm capable of speech should have been considered impossible. It may have been only one of them but if that Grimm could talk, than the possibility of the other Grimm Apes also having speech may have not been far from the truth. In front of all of Beacon's students and staff, the Grimm told them not to trespass in their home, wherever that was, to not challenge their desire for peace, and that they were 'not Grimm', as if that would actually convince anyone. This army of Grimm came only to give a warning, and soon left the kingdom and continent via strange bridges made of plant matter, which miraculously appeared out of nowhere. Though no one was apparently harmed, the people and the state of the city soon fell into chaos.

No one had ever seen Grimm like those before. Nothing about talking, sentient Grimm was ever reported in the world. There was no kind of evidence or account of such Grimm, yet here they were today. A new kind of Grimm was revealed to the public, to the world of Remnant on this day, and the people were scared of what that meant. Even if they walked and talked like them, they must have been like any other Grimm – man-eaters fueled by pure hatred. So many of Vale's citizens marched to the city's capitol building where their leaders, the ruling Council of Vale, hoping and praying for an answer to why this was happening and what was going to be done. The only response they truly got from the Council was an order to calm themselves and return to their homes, in case any kind of Grimm was attracted to the panic. Of course that did not help and only served in angering the rioting people.

The Council decided that if they wanted the people to calm down, then they would use more popular figures to do it – the Huntsmen and Huntresses. The Council and other high-ranking politicians called in for all of the Hunters present in the city and Kingdom to aid in their dilemma with the public. Unfortunately, not very many of them were in the city itself and others were too far from it. Atlas soldiers had to stand guard around the capitol's perimeters, in case anyone would do something drastic, so they couldn't do anything to calm the people.

So the Council turned to something that was somewhat of a last resort – the student Hunters of Beacon. They contacted Ozpin, received his reluctant permission, and the Headmaster had sent several students enter the distraught city. Among those students were teams RWBY and JNPR; like them, they were having difficulties with the citizens.

"Please! If everyone could just calm down–!" Ruby tried her best, shouting as loud as she could, but the noise of the people's rioting and screaming only drowned her words out, let alone the constant interruptions

"What the hell were those Grimm?!" exclaimed one panicked citizen.

"The Council will explain," Weiss tried to inform them. "So if you all could just wait for a moment–!"

"Are they coming back?!" yelled another citizen. "Oh God, are they coming _back_?!"

"They're going to kill us!"

"The Grimm have left the city!" shouted Blake. "No one is going to kill you–!"

"You don't know that!" a hysteric woman retorted. "They're Grimm, they'll come back, and they'll kill us all!"

"Somebody get the Hunters to fight them off!"

"Can't you people get a grip?!" Yang blurted. "You're all going bananas!" At the mention of 'bananas', Yang's teammates believed she was attempting another pun, since the cause of this chaos were the Grimm Apes and apes were stereotypically depicted to eat bananas. Nevertheless, the brawler's choice of words served to irritate her friends.

"Dammit, Yang! This isn't the time for puns!" said Weiss.

"I'm not trying to be punny! Seriously!" replied Yang, attempting to defend herself, but none had believed her. Apparently disgraced, Yang said nothing more and resumed trying to calm the public. It wasn't like the situation was getting any better but it was the only thing she and her team could do. Team JNPR fared no better.

"Everyone! There is nothing to fear!" Pyrrha exclaimed. "The Grimm are no longer within the city!"

"I-If everyone could just take a breath and go back to your homes–!" Jaune tried to speak, but was interrupted

"We can't ignore this!" declared the citizens.

"The Grimm entered our city like it was nothing!"

"Where's a real Huntsman when you need one?!"

"We're real Hunters!" Nora responded hotly to that particular comment. "So everyone shut your yapping, or I'll break your legs!"

"Nora, please!" pleaded Ren. Having Nora break someone's legs was the last thing they all needed. … Actually, no one needed that at all.

Despite their efforts, the crowds of riled and frightened people weren't calming down at all. They kept on marching forward to the capitol building. They came in the hundreds to the building's front gate. The only thing that was between them and the building itself were the soldiers standing guard, reigning them in and blocking them from entrance. However, the many people pushed back, their demands for answers and reassuring of their safety too strong to be ignored. Only one person stood behind the soldiers – their own leader, General James Ironwood.

Ironwood was in his typical military uniform. A white overcoat over a grey undercoat, a red necktie, and a black sweater. He had a single white glove on his right hand. He wore pants that were white like his overcoat and dark silver boots with grey metal plates strapped to them. His hair was a solid back, tinged with areas of gray and silver on each side of his head, and his eyes were a dark blue. Above his right eyebrow was a strip of metal, serving a purpose that only himself and a select few knew of. He stood behind a podium at the bottom of the building's large front stairs. He was a few feet from his soldiers and the panicked citizens behind them.

"Please, if you could all listen to Beacon's Hunters and calm down!" Ironwood announced to the people. He wore an earpiece with a microphone, amplifying the volume of his voice so that he may heard. "The Council and myself will soon explain what had occurred and what is to happen hereafter."

"We were invaded less than half an hour ago!" a distraught woman exclaimed.

"I understand that, but–!" Ironwood was interrupted.

"You don't know shit!" yelled someone crudely.

"Where was Atlas when this happened?!" demanded another.

"W-What?" Ironwood was caught off guard by that question.

Amid his confusion, the rioters were motivated into speaking their minds on Atlas' recent stationing of soldiers within Vale. Several people felt uncomfortable that they came unannounced, and soon saw them patrolling the streets as if they owned them. It was insulting to have another kingdom's army come into their homes to "protect" them. Apparently, Ironwood was unaware of these opinions of his military.

"They marched on our streets and you did nothing!"

"We didn't ask you to come here, anyway!"

"Get the hell out of our city, you gung-ho slackers!"

"I… that's not… we're not like that–!" James was at a loss for words, before he interrupted once again. He found himself being verbally torn apart by the people he thought were on his side, the people he was charged with protecting.

"Get out of Vale!"

"You'll let us die and you'll do nothing!"

"That's not going to happen!" shouted Ruby, who couldn't bear to hear such harsh words towards the General any longer. However, the jeering of the people drowned Ruby out and left her unheard, even by her own teammates.

Ironwood couldn't fathom a way to get these people out of this. He's dealt with issues over the military's popularity, even in Atlas, but not something of this scale. However, before he could do anything, he felt a hand grip his shoulder. He turned to his left, and saw none other than Ozpin. The headmaster had a calm, stern expression in contrast to James' distraught one.

"O-Ozpin?!" he exclaimed. Ozpin made a gesture to his ear, asking for the microphone piece. He wasn't sure what his friend was going to do, or if he was going to do anything different than, but James was able to place trust in the older man. He shakily removed the mic from his ear and gave it to Ozpin. He put in his own ear, then spoke.

"EVERYONE, CALM DOWN!"

He spoke very loudly. Ozpin's surprising bellow was heard by everyone who could. The citizens suddenly stopped their heckling of Ironwood, and brought their attention to the rather famous headmaster (or infamous, depending on who you asked). The students especially turned their focus towards him, wanting to see what the leader of their own academy had say. Seeing that many people's gazes were on him, Ozpin took in a breath before continuing.

"The Grimm have evacuated Vale entirely," he informed. "They did not come here to eat anyone."

"How did they get here?! How did they find us?!" shouted one of the citizens. Ozpin took another moment before speaking, making no movement save for the shifting and blinking of his eyes, then went on to answer that question.

"… Because we discovered them first."

At that, the people gasped. The citizens of Vale, who were fearlessly marching down the streets to get answers, had expressions of shock donned on their faces. Ironwood too looked to him disbelievingly. The students who were not aware of this also had stupefied gazes. Team RWBY and JNPR, who did know, looked to the headmaster with astonishment but for a different reason.

They weren't expecting Ozpin to flat out admit that he was involved with the Grimm Apes coming to Vale. They were also scared, because with a confession like that, who knows what may happen to the headmaster for this incident.

"I had my students encounter these Grimm, and they followed them back to the city," Ozpin explained. "It was an error of judgment on my part, so I take full responsibility."

"No…" muttered Ruby, feeling guilty over Ozpin was doing for her and her friends. They were the ones discovered the Grimm Apes and he had no true part in deliberately leading them to those Grimm. He shouldn't take the blame for her actions.

"YOU KNEW?!" screamed someone among the crowds. Their jeers came back in full force, now completely directed at Beacon's headmaster.

"This is your fault!"

"They know where we live!"

"Yeah! What if they come back?!"

"If they return with hostile intent," responded Ozpin, "even if it is only one of them, then I promise that they will regret it."

The crowds slowly went silent at his words. They were surprised that he made such a claim, since no one knew Ozpin for being direct in a conflict. When the jeering stopped, Ozpin continued his improvised speech.

"I have full belief in my students' capabilities to slay any kind of Grimm," he said, "regardless of a Grimm's size, numbers, age and experience. And we have General Ironwood's military to ward off any horde of Grimm, no matter the odds."

James said nothing, as he was in awe of how seriously Ozpin took this matter. Although, he was a bit surprised that the old man gave him some praise; at least that was one good thing he got out of this rather stressful day.

"Now I know why you are all scared… I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared myself," Ozpin continued. "But, as a community, the people of this kingdom, all of us, must be bound by trust. Only if we work together, the Kingdom of Vale will surpass any threat that dares to turn its head towards us."

"… So what do we do now?!" shouted a woman, after a moment of silence from Ozpin's words.

""YEAH!"" shouted several citizens in unison and agreement. Ozpin took a moment to think of what to say, then replied.

"Now… we move on," he stated, surprisingly. "Or rather… we wait. We will wait, and see what will happen in the future. If they do not return, then that is the end of it. If they do… then I pray it is for the best of intentions." Everyone stared at him. Many of the citizens weren't really sure what to think, as if they were trying to decide whether to really believe a headmaster or not.

"Now," Ozpin resumed speaking. "If everyone could go back home, that would be most appreciated by myself and everyone else."

Not waiting for anyone, Ozpin was the first to leave the scene. He walked up the stairs, towards the capitol building. Ironwood soon followed him. The citizens watched the two go up, then looked to each other for some kind of answer. No could really figure out what else to do, other than comply with Ozpin's request. One by one, the people left from the capitol's gates and the crowd dispersed. That didn't mean that they were satisfied, though. Tensions were still very high among the citizens of Vale, and a large sense of fears was still present. They may have not gotten the kind of answers they were really hoping for but it was evident that the headmaster's words were all they were going to get.

The many students who were there also decided to leave, heading for the bullheads that took them from the school to the city. Teams RWBY and JNPR joined their peers to leave as well… save for Ruby. Ruby was watching Ozpin leave from the podium, travel up the stairs, and disappear by entering the capitol building. For some reason, she felt like she couldn't let things end with that speech. There was still something she had to tell Ozpin, something that may or may not involve the Grimm Apes. As the Atlas soldiers got the order or releasement and started to leave the gate, she headed for the capitol, intending to catch up to Ozpin before she could lose the chance.

As she left unnoticed, her sister and teammates would look frantically for her. Ruby almost forgot about them after she was able to reach Ozpin.

* * *

Ruby reached to the top of the stairs towards the capitol building with some effort. There was a decent amount of stairs to climb but it was enough to make Ruby somewhat tired. Finally in front of the large building, she passed through the line of columns and faced the doorway, which was propped open. She entered and saw before herself an enormous hallway, with doors on each side, multiple paintings hanging from the walls, and small statuettes and flower vases on tables made from multiple materials of an expensive variety. Ruby felt even more lost with all of the well-suited people inside, likely politicians, seeing no discernable trace of her headmaster.

Ruby wandered among the sea of the government officials, hoping to go unnoticed by them. She wasn't sure what would have been done if they saw her, a girl who was only a young student Huntress, frolicking among the people who were running the Kingdom. Just then, Ruby saw the man she was looking for. Ozpin was speaking to a few of the politicians, some of them not looking very pleased with him. General Ironwood was with him as well. Ruby would never have known that the headmaster was acquainted with Vale's politicians, or any kingdom's politicians for that matter. However, with a reputation like Ozpin's, it could be assumed that he did have special connections.

"Headmaster!" she called out to him. At the moment she spoke, everyone turned their gaze to her. They all had wide-eyed expressions, surprised to see an unregistered youth within the capitol. Ozpin too turned his attention towards her, since he was the one she called for.

"Ruby?" he questioned.

Ruby speedily walked towards him, wanting to tell of what else she and her team found on West Dragon. However, she found herself blocked by a large man. Of all the people to stop her, it was a security guard who did it, barring her from reaching her person of interest.

"Miss, this the capitol building," he told her strictly. "It's off limits to you."

"But–!" Ruby tried to explain herself, but the officer interrupted.

"No buts, leave the building now!" he demanded, making Ruby wince at the loud command. Suddenly, a man walked up to the officer and got his attention, making the officer turn to him. It was Ozpin.

"It's alright, Ms. Rose is one of my students. She can stay," he told the officer.

"That isn't for you to decide, sir!" he refuted. Ozpin said nothing to him in response for a moment. The man was only doing his job, he knew that and didn't blame him for it. Ozpin then turned his head towards one of the politicians he was speaking to earlier.

That particular politician gave him a quizzical look, as if not understanding what the headmaster wanted. Without speaking, Ozpin responded to the politician's expression with a narrow-eyed glare. He was silently telling him that he _knew_ what he wanted from him. Pressured, the politician sighed and his shoulders drooped, silently giving in to the headmaster's wishes.

"… Bloody Dust, let her go! She's with him!" said the politician, in a commanding tone to the security officer. The officer looked at the politician with surprise but complied nevertheless. He had to, he was technically his boss.

"Uh… alright. Sorry miss, sir," said the officer apologetically to them, and moved out of their way.

With nothing or no one halting her, Ruby stepped closer to Ozpin. However, now that she got to him, she wasn't sure what to say at first. Ozpin merely gazed at her while the red clad girl was struggling internally to find the right words to start a very much needed conversation. Finally, she thought of the headmaster's impromptu speech, so she decided to address that.

"Um… that was a great speech you gave, Headmaster," she told him.

Ozpin blinked twice at her with surprise, then closed his eyes and exhaled.

"I'm sure that wasn't why you came up all the way here, Ms. Rose," he replied, and Ruby chuckled at that. After that, she immediately told Ozpin of the Dust Spires.

* * *

_Afternoon, around two to three._

* * *

Ruby and Ozpin exited the capitol, and started walking down the front steps. The day wasn't over yet, but it was getting close to evening. Ruby managed to message her team that she was with the headmaster; she almost forgotten that she had followed him without informing them. They must have been looking all over for her, she thought, making Ruby regret her shortsightedness. Regardless, she had to speak with Ozpin about the Dust Spires.

She told him everything she recounted, starting from the moment she found their massive forms to the point of discovering the Grimm Apes. She even recalled how they had a feeling of warmth when touched. Dust Spires were not typical examples of Dust, save for their size, and finding out this part made the discovery all the more astonishing. The mission was to find Dust in West Dragon after all, so Ruby felt obligated to tell Ozpin of her success. As she told him about the Spires, Ozpin didn't seem to have a change of expression. He merely looked at her thoughtfully while she was explaining everything. Ruby would have thought that he was merely putting on a mask to hide his own surprise, but she saw no glint in his eyes that would hint at some sort of shock he was feeling.

"I see… so not only was your mission a disaster, but a success at the same time," he stated while walking down the building's front stairs.

"Something like that, yeah," Ruby confirmed.

"To think that the legendary Dust Spires exist, alongside a species of sentient Grimm. Today is most extraordinary," he claimed.

His statement was rather contradictory of his seemingly calm and indifferent expression, Ruby thought. She pushed those thoughts aside though; he must have been overwhelmed to hear of the Dust Spire's existence. Ozpin was merely putting up a façade, that's all. He was known for masking his emotions.

"Oh, pardon me," said Ozpin, bringing Ruby out of her thoughts. "I should apologize for not believing your reports from earlier." Ruby was startled by the headmaster's apparent and sudden apology, but also felt embarrassment over it. She didn't report the Dust Spires earlier, so why should he be the one apologizing?

"N-No, no, it's fine Headmaster!" she said, "I-I didn't get to tell you about the Spires earlier, either!"

"Well, I can see why you forgotten it," Ozpin stated. "The incident must have been severely stressful for you."

"Yeah… Blake might have taken it the hardest," Ruby confessed. She learned from Yang that Blake was the one who shot that ape. It must have felt heavy to be someone who instigated this whole incident. "So, what are we supposed to do now?" she asked the headmaster.

"We can't do anything." He deadpanned.

"Oh…" Ruby stopped walking down the stairs as Ozpin continued, having a moment to register what he just said. "Wait, what?!" she exclaimed. Ozpin stopped where he was, and turned to look at Ruby.

"Ruby, surely you heard what their leader said," he told her. "If we go back, it would be us who'd be viewed as the invaders, not the apes."

"W-Well, sure there's that," she admitted, "but there's still the Dust Spires! We could use that Maybe we could negotiate something?"

"It would be risky to assume if they're willing to compromise," Ozpin said, doubtfully.

"But–!" Ruby tried to defend her side of the argument, but Ozpin interrupted.

Ozpin: "Ruby, I assure you, it is fine," he told her. "The city of Vale has more than enough Dust in storage for us to use. The mission was only benefitting Herr Schnee after all, he had funded it."

She almost forgot about that; Weiss' father was the one who started the mission, bringing it up with Ozpin in a private meeting. Ruby knew of the man's shady practices, but to what extent she didn't know. Judging from Weiss' strained relationship with him, she imagined it was bad.

"Well, he's going to be mad about this, isn't he?" she asked, unsure of whether or not it was wise to not tell the SDC chairman of the Dust Spires. Ozpin looked at her for a moment, studying the conflict and confusion within her, before answering.

"I'll merely tell him you found nothing," he declared. "Herr Schnee has enough Dust in his company mines. And he's stolen enough of it from others already."

Now it was Ruby's turn to study Ozpin, saying nothing as she still couldn't figure out whether it was okay to lie to Herr Schnee, even though the headmaster seemed to have no problem with it whatsoever. Naivety was a cruel thing; not only does it make one ignorant of the world, it also causes confusion in making one's choices, if they felt their morals came into conflict with their lacking of certain details of information. Though Ruby would hate to admit it, she recognized that she herself was naïve.

"We shouldn't cause a war when the other side wants peace, Ruby," spoke Ozpin. "Leave the Grimm Apes alone, and I'm certain everything should turn out fine."

Ozpin turned forward, his back facing Ruby, and resumed walking down the stairs. Ruby had nothing more to say, exhaled, and resumed walking as well. She stopped, however, when she heard what sounded like a chuckle. She looked at Ozpin, wondering if it came from him. It had indeed, as the headmaster suddenly threw his head back and barked a hearty series of laughter.

Ruby found herself astonished to see him do something like that, out of the blue. The kingdom was peacefully invaded by abnormal Grimm a few hours ago, people were terrified of what could happen next, and somehow this man could muster the will to laugh like that. A man who expressed laughter like that rarely, no less.

Ruby gazed at Ozpin with unfaltering shock and confusion, even as the old headmaster managed to calm down, and began to speak.

"… It's so strange…" he claimed, further confusing Ruby, "… we're talking about the Grimm, of all things. We speak of them as if they have thoughts, and feel emotions like us… and those Grimm do, but they might have more."

At that moment, hearing his words, realization hit Ruby like an oncoming freight train. These Grimm Apes were very much like **people**. They spoke, they thought, they probably even _felt_ like people. The more she thought about this, the more these Grimm seemed less like Grimm to her, than they actually were; less and less by the minute. Perhaps no one seemed to realize that, no one but Ozpin and herself just now. It was strange… and that word itself may be an understatement.

"It's so very strange…" he continued, "and sad." Ruby caught that last part, feeling confused once more. Of all the things she was feeling about these Grimm Apes, sad wasn't one she thought of.

"Sad, Professor?" she asked.

"Yes…" he answered. Ozpin turned to her again, his expression now a strained weariness. "It's sad that there aren't any other Grimm like them, or us, on this world."

Ozpin said no more, turned his back to her for the last time and headed down the stairs. Ruby merely looked on as his image became smaller and smaller. His last statement caught her off guard as well. The way he said was as if he was reminiscing of something, and it made him feel a legitimate sense of sadness. Ruby couldn't understand why he said that or why he said it in that certain manner. All she knew was that it added on to this whole dilemma with the Grimm Apes, and it didn't help with the matter of the Dust Spires.

Ruby stood there on those steps for a moment longer. She turned her head right, to see the glowing sun hanging low in the sky, using the time and place to contemplate. It wasn't close to sunset, but the sky was already a shade of color between bright blue and light yellow. The sun, a glimmering disc of yellow in the sky, seemed surrounded by a light ring of fire. From where Ruby was see could even see the ocean, a dark blue topped with sparkling white highlights.

She could also see that strange bridge she heard of – the one that the Grimm Apes used to enter Vale, and made entirely of plant matter. It apparently rose from the sea, engulfing the docks in vines and leaves, and the Grimm walked out of fog and into the city. It was like the same bridge that appeared on the Beacon cliffs, a bridge made of plants just like this on. This bridge must have been connecting the continent Vale was located, Sanus, with the West Dragon continent where Grimm Apes lived.

Ruby didn't know how those bridges came to be. There was no hint to how they were created, even though they appeared conveniently with the Grimm Apes. She stared at it for a moment longer, as the wind blew lightly on her face and hair. She wondered what finding these Grimm Apes meant and what was going to happen to the world after today.

* * *

_Afternoon, around three._

* * *

Roman turned off the projector.

"Well?!" he asked of his villainous peers, with Neo pointing at him with her open hand to add emphasis.

During the whole report, they were exposed to the "Grimm Apes". They were basically told everything from the reporter; they listened to her about how the apes entering the city, how they were armed with horses and spears, how they marched all the way to Beacon Academy and, most importantly, how one of them spoke. Lisa Lavender even brought bridges made of plants seemingly came out of nowhere, the apparent reason for how the apes entered city. However, she nor anyone how those bridges came about. The most recent part of the news was the citizens marching to the capitol building in panic, and the Beacon headmaster Ozpin making a speech to calm them down.

After the news report was over, no one said a thing. Emerald and Mercury had the most conspicuous reactions, with their eyes bulging out of their sockets. The only difference in their expressions was Emerald's mouth gaping open, while Mercury's was closed into a thin sliver, almost like a pencil-drawn line. Adam's mouth dropped open from shock as well, though not as wide as Emerald's. No one could see his eyes though, due to the mask covering them. Cinder, currently the most stoic of them in this matter, only had her eyes closed and seemed to be contemplating the matter.

"… Bullshit," Mercury was the first to say what was on his mind. Emerald turned to him, shocked at his apparent disbelief.

"Are you FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" she bellowed at him. Mercury was taken aback by her words.

"HOW DO _YOU_ BELIEVE ANY OF THIS?!" he demanded.

"Because I'm not blind or deaf!" Emerald mocked. "Unlike you apparently, you retard!"

"Fuck you!" Mercury said, earning a scowl from Emerald. "A big-ass army of Grimm monkeys comes knocking on our door, and they can _TALK_?! It's BULLSHIT!" he argued.

"You're nothing _but_ bullshit!" she insulted him.

"You're nothing but a bitch!" he quickly retorted.

"CHICKENSHIT!"

"STUPID COW!"

"SHUT YOUR DAMNED MOUTHS, HUMANS!"

Emerald and Mercury were silenced by Adam, startled by the White Fang Lieutenant's sudden outburst. The others turned to him and saw an emotion neither of them were feeling right now, other than him: anger. Adam was apparently angry at the situation with the Grimm Apes, and the verbal scuffle between Mercury and Emerald served to irritate him. His anger was apparent from his visible teeth gritting, and a large vein pulsing on the temple of his head.

"That Grimm…" he sounded like his voice was laced with fire. Adam was known for his fury, and the others were getting a taste of it.

"They think they can order the Faunus to stay?! THEY THINK THEY CAN TALK TO US LIKE SERVANTS?! LIKE DOGS?!" He screamed in blood-curdling rage. In an instant, he drew his crimson sword and swung it through a wooden crate, slicing it cleanly in two while splintering it into pieces at the same time. Roman, Neo, Emerald and Mercury gawked at him with fear, as the livid Bull Faunus growled like a feral animal.

"Quiet, Adam." Now everyone turned to Cinder, who spoke that command. Her eyes were open now, staring at the five of them with indifference. Her uncaring expression seemed to anger Adam.

"Those THINGS think they are equal to my people!" Adam bellowed. "No, _superior_ to us! They–!"

" _He_ was merely giving a warning," Cinder stated, interrupting the Faunus. "There was nothing in his words denouncing the Faunus, or the humans."

"H-He?" Mercury questioned. He wasn't sure why his leader mentioned the pronoun.

"Their leader; it's obviously a male," she explained. She wasn't wrong, since the Grimm Apes' leader, the Grimm who spoke, had a very masculine voice. "Are you really that damn blind, Mercury?"

Mercury blinked, then looked away in embarrassment. He inadvertently turned to Emerald, who stuck her tongue out at him in apparent victory. Mercury responded with a growl.

"So, what else do have to say, Cinder?" Roman asked his employer. "I mean, it's fucking crazy, right?"

"I have nothing to say," she answered, to the shock of everyone, "other than I must contact someone about this."

"Who?" Emerald asked. Cinder gave her what appeared to be a thoughtful look, before answering.

"… No one of your concern," Cinder refuted. Her blunt answer made Emerald a little worried over not knowing what Cinder was doing. "This meeting is adjourned, you may all leave."

"But what about our plans–!" Mercury attempted to ask.

"I said, _leave_ ," Cinder ordered, a lick of flame seemed to gleam from her glaring eyes. With no other options given, everyone had to comply. Even Adam, who was still wrought with anger, obeyed the fiery woman's commands. They hesitantly parted from Cinder, the only one staying within the warehouse.

Emerald and Mercury looked at each other with concern. Both of them thought that if their mistress was dismissing them, her closest subordinates, than whatever she was going to do was exceedingly serious. They seemed to share that thought the moment their worried eyes locked. However, remembering their disdain towards each other, their concerned expressions turned into sour scowls. The two parted when they got the chance to, for the time being.

Adam would go to rejoin his subordinates within the White Fang. He had a camp stationed within the Forever Falls. Along his journey back, from the warehouse to the red forest, he wore an expression twisted with anger. He still had a low opinion of those Grimm Apes, having interpreted that Grimm's words as a command to the Faunus; a command that sounded like what a master would say to a slave.

"Damned animals… damned animals!" he muttered venomously.

Roman and Neo went their own way as well. Roman turned to look at Cinder one last time; she was still seemingly emotionless. He scowled and turned back, facing forward. He saw Neo looking at him curiously, silently asking what was wrong.

"… You know, for some reason," he commented, "I thought that'd get Cinder to finally lose her cool. Figures, I shouldn't be surprised."

Neo gave him a little smile, then spoke to him in sign. It was how she communicated with her dear accomplice. _Hey, we'll get her some other time,_ she said, getting Roman's attention. _That fiery bitch ought a break one day._

At that, Roman gave a hearty laugh. "Hah! She sure will, Neo! She sure will!" and the left in good spirits, compared to the others.

Everyone was gone, save for Cinder. The building was empty, except for all of those useless crates. With no one but herself, she could finally take her mask of apathy. Cinder sighed and sat back down into her chair. She brought a hand to her mouth, sweat was starting to precipitate around her face, and her eyes were wide with a glint of terror.

Cinder found herself stunned for one of the first times in her life. She's never seen, never _heard_ of those Grimm Apes before, and that wasn't right. Not one bit of it was right. That was because of what she knew about the Grimm from her master. Her master shown her all of the Grimm that existed, all the Grimm that would bring destruction on the world one day. To learn of these new Grimm on her own, and not from her master, was a shock to her knowledge. Cinder didn't understand any of this. Were these Grimm new? Did her master not tell her of them? What was the meaning of this?

Even with all of that in mind, Cinder could tell that these Grimm were not normal, by a Grimm's standards. They weren't aggressive beasts born from the darkness; they were sentient. Though Grimm were intelligent, these Grimm seemed to be on another level of intelligence. They were armed with spears and riding horses; no Grimm had the capacity to use weapons nor the understanding of horse riding, let alone interactions with other animals. Then, beyond her wildest imaginations, the leading figure of these apes spoke. That ape made a warning, of all things, to all of Beacon Academy, and the entire army of them left without taking a single life. Then there were the plant bridges these Grimm Apes came on, which she couldn't figure out how those appeared, for the life of her.

Cinder would never have thought a Grimm would be capable of these things. A Grimm came to the city in huge numbers, showcased a high level of intelligence and capability for speech, but would only do so for the sake of a warning to keep some sort of peace between them, the Humans, and the Faunus, then leave without killing anyone. How any of this occurred, how this was now a reality for some bizarre reason, was beyond her.

Though Cinder was afraid of what this could all mean, she wasn't going to sit here and do nothing. She was determined to do one thing about this. She had to speak with her master.

Cinder stood up from her chair, moving it to the side. She was surrounded by crates, almost as if they were formed in a circle around her. Before her was simply the floor and empty space. She made sure that no one, absolutely no one, could be watching her. Windows were too far up the walls for anyone to reach and look through, and no one would really be present at an abandoned warehouse. She was clear.

Cinder took out an object from a small pouch, strapped around her waist but under her dress. The gazed at the figurine in her hand. It was akin to a bird's skull, the bone a clean white, and with red markings drawn all over it. On top of the skull was an intricate symbol that resembled an eye. She held it within her cupped hands, and brought it closer to her face. Cinder whispered into it, uttering a chant of forbidden words and unpronounceable syllables. She placed on the floor in front of her.

Suddenly, the skull appeared to vibrate. Short wisps of black smoke started to fume from the sockets and the nasal cavities. The smoke became thicker and thicker, spreading wider and wider. Before she'd forget and before the process was complete, Cinder kneeled down before the fuming skull. The smoke fumed upwards, thick and ghastly. Then, within the smoke, a figure was forming. The smoke eventually calmed down, and was soon fuming at the base of a dark figure, whose back was facing Cinder.

This ceremony was a form of communication, creating a visage of whoever was being contacted. Her master had several forms of communications, but this was used in emergencies and when other communication forms were unavailable. This form also had a limited time, as the skull would soon disintegrate after all of the smoke dissipated from it. Cinder kept her kneeled position, waiting for the dark figure to turn and take notice of her. The figure soon did, revealing herself to Cinder.

She was a witch by the name of Salem. She was cloaked in a black robe, with an opening over the center of her chest. The sleeves reached to her forearms and on her right finger was a ring, the design resembling a hideous insect. The cloak had red designs stitched into it, which resembled eyes like that on the bird skull. Her physical appearance was inhuman, with skin of a deathly pallor and purplish red veins pulsing around her eyes and on her arms. Her ghastly white hair was tied in a large bun with six offshoots, three on each side, with ornaments suspending from them; her hair looked like a spider. Her eyes were the most striking feature, the sclera and pupil a deathly black, and the iris a burning red.

Yes, this witch was indeed the master of Cinder Fall. But Salem was not only the master of Cinder, she was the master of the entire Grimm species. She has existed for a long time, commanding the Grimm to roam the world and kill to their dark hearts' content. Though her goals were not clear to many at the moment, it was clear that Salem wanted at least one thing: death to all of humanity.

"Cinder… what a pleasant surprise, to hear from you," spoke Salem, her voice illustrious and twisted at the same time. Cinder said nothing, waiting for the witch's permission to do so.

"Speak, my child," the witch requested, "How goes your crusade?"

"My Lady," answered Cinder, "my plans have gone perfectly as of now… but there are some complications that have arisen."

Salem raised a brow curiously. "Oh? Of what kind are these complications?"

"It is better seen than heard," Cinder explained. "I open my mind and thoughts to you, milady." Salem looked at her pupil contemplatively.

The witch could do many things with the power she had, and reading one's mind was no exception. Although, the witch usually never read the thoughts of someone who willingly allowed her to. If Cinder was giving her consent to this, then the matter must be rather serious to her. Salem found herself intrigued by what she was going to read within Cinder's mind.

"As you wish." Salem closed her eyes, and begun the process of mind-reading. Cinder felt a slight pang in her head from this. After a moment's pass, Salem opened her eyes. They were momentarily wide, showing her surprise at the information she just read. "… I see. So a new hand has been dealt in this game."

"Yes, milady," Cinder confirmed. At this point, she wasn't sure what her master was going to say about these Grimm Apes, now that she knew of them. Was she going to claim she made them and that she had not told her of them? Were they somehow an important part of her plans.

"… I must admit," Salem started, getting Cinder's attention. "I would never have foreseen an act of peace declared by the Grimm, ones that are strange and unrecognizable, no less."

Cinder looked at Salem oddly. "My Lady… are you saying–!"

"That I've had no dealings in creating these… 'Grimm Apes'? Indeed, I have not."

Cinder gawked at the witch. That confession was very much stupefying to hear, and somewhat terrifying. How could Salem possibly not know of these Grimm, let alone create them? It didn't make sense whatsoever.

"But… the Grimm are your creations!" Cinder claimed. "How are you unfamiliar with these creatures?" Salem took a moment before answering.

"Even the basics of the Grimm escapes me, Cinder," she explained. "They are complicated, having dreadful wills of their own, even if they are under my control. I would not like to admit it, but a Grimm that is independent, who does not answer to my will, is very much possible."

Cinder didn't know what to say to her. Things were getting more complicated by the second, and she almost couldn't handle it. "… What must be done about these apes?"

"Find more information on them, as much as you can," the witch commanded. "But continue your search for the Fall Maiden, that is your priority."

"Understood, milady," she complied. "If I may ask now, what do you plan for the apes?"

"… They are certainly a part of the Grimm," Salem said. "If I can, I would most certainly… 'welcome' them, let's say, into our ranks." She spoke those words with a sinister grin. When she continued speaking though, the grin was replaced with a more serious frown. "… However, something tells me that it would be better off to eliminate them as soon as possible," she proclaimed.

After that, time ran out. Salem's visage faded out as she gave Cinder her farewells. The smoke dissipated into the air, and the skull broke up into dust. Acting on her master's orders, Cinder considered what was to be done, even though images of the Grimm Apes were still heavy on her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note, 1/6/18:
> 
> Happy New Years, folks. I'm sorry that it took some time for me to update the story, but I'm glad to have gotten back to writing fanfiction, after all of the school work I've finished. However, I only have the rest of the month to do so, so I am going to work as much as possible to get things done.
> 
> So anyway, on to talking about the chapter, which aimed to capture everyone's shock and panic over the recent invasion of Vale by the Grimm Apes. Of course, no one died and it was a "peaceful" invasion, but the fact that they were Grimm and one of them talked was enough to overshadow that. But I didn't want to just portray the panicked reactions of people. I wanted to depict people realizing that the Grimm Apes have something in common with them: they're conscious. They're not bloodthirsty beasts, they're a tribe of sentient beings who want to live like them – they're really close to being people like the Humans and Faunus.
> 
> My reasons for depicting this is to add an emotional conflict for characters who are on the fence about the Grimm Apes. Although, at least Ozpin is starting to think of the Grimm Apes as people. Speaking of whom; I based his speech to the citizens of Vale on Dreyfus' first speech in the movie, when he talks to the people after the apes payed them visit. I chose Ozpin as the counterpart for Dreyfus in this scene because of a few similarities the characters share: old, experienced, and cool sons-a-bitches, my favorite kinds of characters.
> 
> I had fun introducing the villains of RWBY in this chapter, I figured that this would be a good place to do so. I have a lot planned to further involve them in the fanfic. Although, Salem may or may not have been introduced too early, since she's the big bad and all, but I like writing about dark, demonic characters like her though. I kinda think of her as a witch, like the Wicked Witch of the West. Do you all think she's a witch, or something else/worse? Let me know in the reviews.
> 
> And what do you all think of Neo using sign language? I thought it would be an ironic touch with the Grimm Apes using sign, even though she's mute. I've never really seen her use sign language in fan art or fanfics of RWBY, usually just actual signs like in RWBY Chibi, save for a short comic I've recently found online.
> 
> Anyway, that's all I got. Next chapter for this will be a turning point, but if you're reading Team JGJO, that will be updated next. After JGJO another story may be published, or Bloody Evolution will get updated, I dunno yet. Also, I again apologize for the poll dilemma, if you've seen them or not. I will do poll stuff again, but maybe not for a while. Laters.


	6. A Last Resort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ownership:  
> RWBY is owned by creator Monty Oum, God rest his soul, and Rooster Teeth Productions.  
> Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is owned by 20th Century Fox, Chenrin Entertainment, and TSG Entertainment. 
> 
> I, the humble author of this fan-work, own absolutely nothing, gain no profit whatsoever, and wish only to express my writing and love for these fandoms artistically.
> 
> /–\–/–\–/–\–/–\–/–\–/–\–/–\
> 
> Hey, I did two updates in one month! It’s like Christmas in July!
> 
> This chapter does contain strong adult language and depictions of violence. If you do not find this material suitable, please refrain from reading this story.

Chapter 6: A Last Resort

It was the next day, and everyone in the city of Vale were very quiet. Citizens went on with their regular lives for most of the day, whether they were working or spending time for themselves. There were people walking down the streets with some destination in mind, whether someone was with them or not. Cars would be moving along the roads in traffic, their drivers focused on their surroundings.

But they were still distracted by those 'Grimm Apes' that came into their homes. To see a horde of monstrous Grimm charging down their streets and ravaging everything, that was one thing. Seeing an army of ape-like Grimm marching through their cities and destroy nothing, that was another. None of it made sense how such peaceful yet stern creatures existed, especially with the sentience they exhibited that was on the same level of humans and Faunus. It was incredulous, but it all happened in front of their homes, and now all they could do was try not to think about it.

The things these Creatures of Grimm did was never, even in a million years, thought to be in their nature. To gather a massive group, knocking on their doors, and tell them to not invade their homes, it was all extraordinary. The behavior these Grimm Apes shown wasn't expected in the slightest and it threw everything the people knew about Grimm out the window. The people outside of Vale, they were certainly shocked by what they heard, but they could still have doubts. Vale's people, however, saw everything happen before their eyes so they couldn't deny it for second, even if they wish they could.

Scientists were trying to get a handle on this situation as well. All of the studies made on Grimm, gathered up from what little they could find on the elusive and violent creatures, they were all for nothing now. Nothing could explain the behavior these miraculous animals they had, and no single person could find out how. There was no way they could go out on an expedition to understand, and there was nothing they could develop from older works. The most they could do now was name the Grimm Apes that were not Beringels. Grimm that appeared similar to Gorillas, the Beringel, were already public knowledge. Those that looked like the other great apes, chimpanzees and orangutans, were just discovered during this impactful event.

Because of the history they made, scientists decided to honor the Grimm that resembled chimpanzees with the first _genus_ to ever classify a Grimm. It was announced that the genus name would be " _Hominidon_ ," and would have two species under it. Those that resembled common chimps were dubbed " _H. Troglodyte_ ," and the Grimm resembling bonobos, or pygmy chimps, were titled " _H. Gremlin_." The Grimm that appeared to be orangutans though, were given a single name to define their species, which was " _Gigantops_."

Those most affected by the Grimm Apes, however, were the students of Beacon Academy. The apes had gone to their school of all places to announce their desire for peace, and it was more symbolic than most realized. The Huntsmen and Huntresses, those who protected mankind from the Grimm, were approached by an army of them that demanded a truce. Some students had actually realized how ironic it was, but most were still shocked by the huge number of them on their doorstep just yesterday.

The academy decided to continue with classes today, but it was obvious that not much learning was made in progress. Everyone was still to startled by the peaceful invasion, including the teachers. Although, no one really knew that the students who were most troubled were the members of teams RWBY and JNPR.

They had just walked out of class when the bell rang, ending school for the day. It was the late afternoon, close to evening, and they were ready to relax. As much as they could, of course, with everything else that was on their mind.

Each of them has a mostly neutral expression, but with traces of some uneasiness. Jaune, leader of team JNPR, was first break the silence as they walked down the halls.

"So… uh… good class today, right guys?" he asked his peers.

"… I suppose," said Pyrrha, though not enthusiastically. Ruby saw what Jaune was trying to do, so she thought she play off what he said in attempt to brighten everyone's mood.

"Yeah, um… Professor Port gave a really… inspiring speech!" she claimed.

"It was just another one of his stories," said Ren, his factual statement not helping Ruby with her plans right now.

"Oh, right… um–!"

"Ugh, enough!" interrupted Weiss. "We all know what's still on our minds right now."

At that, Ruby sighed in defeat. "… I guess there's no point beating around the bush."

"Yeah… but what else is there to say?" Jaune questioned.

"Well… maybe we can talk about how cool they are?" Yang suggested. She earned an exasperated look from Weiss.

"Are you serious right now?" she asked disbelievingly.

"What? It's not like we haven't thought about it," stated Yang.

"I'm with Yang here," said Nora. "A whole bunch of Grimm that look like monkeys that can hunt, ride horses, and talk? I think that's pretty cool."

"Apes, Nora," Ren corrected. "There's a difference."

"I'll admit, they are impressive…" admitted Pyrrha, "but I think the situation is far more serious than to talk about how 'cool' they are."

"Then what should we talk about them?" asked Yang.

"We should be discussing what they are," said Weiss, questioning the apes' existence. "I mean, are they actually Grimm? How did they come to exist and where did they come from? Do they have any secrets we don't know about? Or perhaps–!"

"Like how this is our faults."

"Exactly, if this is… what?" Weiss stopped herself when she heard what Blake said, and everyone was looking oddly at the black-haired Faunus.

"Blake? What do you mean?" asked Ruby.

"It's exactly as I said," the normally quiet girl answered. "We brought them here."

"W-What? Blake–!" Yang tried to make sense of what Blake was saying, but her partner did not listen.

"What, am I wrong?" Blake asked. The things she said made everyone worried for her. "Am I not the one who _shot_ one of them?"

Ruby disliked how her friend was starting to belittle herself. "Blake, please–!"

"Should we be talking about this in public?" stated Pyrrha.

Everyone noticed they were still the middle of the hallway, students walking around them as they stood there and conversed. Though most of them payed no attention, one or two individuals did glance in their direction, curious of what the two teams were talking about. Blake knew it wasn't something to speak of publicly, but still felt guilt towards the matter.

"… It doesn't matter. What's done is done," she said, and began walking away from her friends.

"Where are you going?" Weis asked of her.

"Nowhere," Blake responded neutrally, and eventually disappeared from their sight among the crowd of students. Left behind by the bookworm again, the others looked to each other in question.

"Sh-Should we go after her?" Ruby suggested, though she was unsure of herself. Unlike her sister.

"I sure am!" Yang exclaimed and ran off towards her teammate.

"Yang, wait!" Ruby called out to her, but her sister didn't listen, and she too disappeared.

"… Well, that was a bad turn of events," said Jaune.

Once again everyone remembered just how deeply Blake was affected by this matter. It was true she may have instigated this ordeal, as she was the first and only one to harm a Grimm Ape since their discovery.

Of course it wasn't as simple as just reacting to one hurt ape; they came because they had to represent themselves as not a threat, but still a force to be reckoned with. Blake hadn't seemed understand yet and was still blaming herself for what happened, to everyone's dismay.

"So does that mean now's a bad time?" said a new voice, the remaining six students turned to it.

Standing behind them was another student, but wearing a completely different uniform colored black, grey, and white. Her skin was dark, her hair a mint green, and her eyes a bright red. Team JNPR didn't know who this was, but the remaining members of RWBY seemed to.

"Oh! Uh… Emerald, right? Hi!" Ruby was first to greet her, switching from a sullen mood to a happier one when talking to her.

"That's me," said the newcomer. As Ruby remembered it, she had bumped into her and two of her teammates a few days before that fateful mission to West Dragon. She and her team came from their academy for the Vytal Festival.

"You're visiting Beacon with your team, correct?" Weiss clarified. She and the rest of the team were there when Ruby met them. "It's a surprise to see you again, so soon."

"Same here," agreed Emerald, then turned to the others. "I haven't met you four though."

"Oh, uh yeah, we're team JNPR. I'm Jaune, and that's Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren," he introduced themselves to her. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude on you guys after what just happened," she stated, trying not to intrusive in their dilemma.

"N-no, it's fine," defended Ruby. "I guess we should just let Blake deal with her problems. Yang has her back, hopefully."

"Right… hopefully," said Weiss.

"So, Weiss said you're visiting?" Pyrrha asked Emerald.

"Yeah, my team and I are from Haven Academy," she informed them.

"Woah, that's in Mistral!" exclaimed Nora. She and Ren had lived for a good time in Mistral but had never gone to the academy there. "What's it like in Haven?"

"It's… got culture. Just like Mistral," said Emerald. No one really noticed her hesitance when she answered, even though it was apparent.

"Well, we hope you enjoy your stay here," said Ren. "Did you need something, per chance?"

"Thanks, and yeah, I do. can somebody direct me to the library?"

"The library?" repeated Pyrrha. "That's a bit far from here."

"It is? Geez…" upon hearing that, Emerald donned a tired expression. "I don't have a lot of time."

"Well… I can get you there, if you want," suggested Ruby.

"Really?" before she could say yes to the Haven student, Weiss pulled Ruby slightly aside.

"Ruby, are you sure?" she asked her partner, unsure if now was a good time to personally help someone.

"Of course!" said Ruby. "We don't have any more classes for today, and it be nice to get to know her."

"What about Blake?" asked Weiss.

"Yang can take care of her… I hope." Ruby wasn't sure if her sister could help Blake, but she knew when to trust in Yang's ability to relate with others. "I'll catch up with you guys after, okay?"

"Alright…" Weiss relented, and Ruby went along with Emerald to guide her to the library.

"Don't get lost along the way!" said Jaune jokingly, and the others walked off in the opposite direction.

"I won't! Heh, _lost_ ," she called out to him, giving a chuckle at his jest. She knew where to go, so it wouldn't be a problem at all. The two of them wandered through the halls, as the crowd of students grew thinner as they walked the other way.

"So, what did you want to find at the Library?" asked Ruby. "Some class books, maybe?"

For some reason Emerald didn't answer, to Ruby's confusion. When she looked at her, she noticed that her expression was focused while her eyes were looking around, as if she was taking in her surroundings very seriously.

"Uh, Emerald?" voiced Ruby, trying to get Emerald's attention.

"This way," she stated all of a sudden.

"Huh?" uttered a puzzled Ruby. Wasn't she supposed to be leading her?

Emerald suddenly pulled Ruby alongside, the red caped girl not understanding what was going on in the slightest. As hall was filled with fewer and fewer students, she turned and took her into a narrower hallway, where there were no students whatsoever. Although, there may be a few that would pass by this hall's entryway.

"Um… didn't you want to go to the library?" Ruby questioned, still very confused. "It's definitely not this way–!"

"Yeah, that was a lie," claimed Emerald abruptly.

"What?" Ruby muttered, shocked by her revelation.

"I wanted to ask about those… Grimm Apes," Emerald told her.

"W-WHAT?!"

Ruby immediately brought her hands to her mouth, while Emerald shushed her. They both looked into the greater hall and saw that no one seen or heard them. Obviously, this wasn't a subject that everyone could listen into, so they had to be as private as possible.

"W-Why are you asking me?" Ruby inquired, speaking more quietly this time.

"I overheard you guys a little," Emerald admitted. "You're involved in this somehow, aren't you?"

"… What makes you say that?" Ruby probed.

"Let's just say I'm a little intuitive."

"Why do you want to know?"

"Why wouldn't I want to know?" said Emerald with a short laugh. "Not every day that you hear about a species of Grimm that can talk and you find out people know about them."

Ruby considered the risks. She was young, so she didn't really know how consequential it would be to tell a stranger the things she knew. However, also because she was young and inexperienced, Ruby believed that she was a good judge of character. Emerald didn't seem to have any reason to use the information for bad intentions. Ultimately, Ruby took a gamble and hoped she made a good bet.

"… Emerald, I don't know you very well, but I can trust you, right?" she queried. "You're not going to tell anyone who would spread this around, are you?"

"I wouldn't think of doing that," claimed Emerald, "you can trust me."

"You promise?"

"I promise, scout's honor! … Not that I _was_ a scout, or anything."

"Heh… okay." Ruby was able to get a chuckle out of that, then took a deep breath to reveal everything to the exchange student.

"My team and JNPR were the ones who found the apes," she said, which surprised Emerald considerably. "We were sent on a mission by Professor Ozpin to West Dragon."

"What?!" Emerald exclaimed. "That place's full of Grimm! Why would he send you guys there?"

"Well, he said that the continent wasn't infested anymore… or, at least, he thought it was," Ruby clarified. "We spent a few days there, but we couldn't complete the mission. Then, on the third day Yang and Blake, my sister and her partner, encountered the Grimm Apes. We got back together, but then more of the apes came and forced us to leave."

"They didn't attack you or anything?" asked Emerald.

"No," Ruby answered, "Their leader just told us to go. The same ape who talked yesterday."

"Woah… but if that's all that happened, why would they come here in the first place?" Emerald queried.

"I don't know how they knew to come to Vale and Beacon," Ruby answered earnestly, "but… Blake shot one of them. It was kind of like retaliation on their part."

"Woah… and they just came to give a warning? Talk about restraint," noted Emerald, never expecting just how tense the situation really was for them. "I guess it sucks that all that happened, and you didn't complete the mission, huh?"

"Well… we actually did complete our mission," Ruby informed her, who blinked in surprise.

"Really? What was the mission anyway?" she enquired. Again Ruby felt doubtful of telling Emerald everything, but it seemed like she was persistent about it. And she already spilled her experiences and opinions to her. Perhaps it was best if she continued.

"Emerald, if I tell you, you can't tell _anyone_ about this, okay?" said Ruby firmly. "I know you already promised, but what we found is really, really, _really_ important. Maybe more important than the Grimm Apes." She couldn't stress just how important it was any more than that.

"I said I promised, okay?" said Emerald, "you can tell me." At that, Ruby decided it tell her. It was all or nothing.

"Alright… what do you know about Dust Spires?"

* * *

"BLAKE!"

Yang finally caught up with her friend but had run out of breath in the process. Blake turned to her peer and saw catching her breath while she was bent over, her hands on her knees.

Blake could be a hard person to find whenever she wanted to be, though Yang was working on her tracking skills (for her own reasons). The Faunus girl wasn't trying to after all, so Yang was able to find her before she gone too far.

"D-don't go running on us, for God's sake!" Yang exclaimed.

"What do you want, Yang?" Blake demanded, to which Yang looked at her dubiously.

"What do I _want_? I want to know what's wrong!" she shouted. She would have no other reason than that to search for her so ardently.

"Nothing's wrong," claimed Blake, though Yang didn't believe her for a second.

"Don't give me that bull–!"

"I'm serious," she interrupted, catching Yang off guard. "Nothing's wrong, because I caused all of this. We all know that I shot that ape, and they came here because of that. It's my fault and I'm perfectly okay with that… and I'm sure you all are too."

The blonde brawler found herself unable to retort, she was too shocked to hear all of that. She was accepting that she was some kind of instigator? Accepting the shame of causing what, in her words, sounded like a disaster? That all sounded like some sort of excuse that she was hating herself for causing this ordeal.

But that wasn't true at all! Those apes revealed themselves, so they would be seen as peaceful, not to take revenge for one ape. Yang knew that, and Blake probably knew that too. So why would she make it sound like she's distancing herself from everyone?

"So just leave me alone," Blake told her. "I have to do research; I'll be back in our dorm later tonight."

Blake turned away from Yang, who was still shocked by the way she worded things. She may have been conflicted, but she didn't want this conversation to her.

"Blake… I–!" Yang tried to call her back.

"Just… stop, Yang," said Blake. "Please let me be." With that she turned away for good, and Yang couldn't stop her. She noticed, however, that when Blake spoke for the last time, she was restraining herself from showing pain. An emotional pain.

Yang realized that just talking to her partner was going to be harder than she thought… which meant she had to take this much more seriously. If she didn't, this would just get worse and Blake would be too far from everyone to reach her. She didn't want her friend to be away from her, to be in pain all by herself, so she had to fight for her in order make her realize how wrong she was. It wouldn't matter how much Blake would try to push her away, Yang was going to help her at any cost.

* * *

_Later that same evening._

* * *

Emerald was a petty thief before she was taken in by Cinder, taking for herself the most valuable of items. She'd take the finest of jewelry or the brightest of gems and she'd do it right under peoples' noses. She would sell of whatever she'd snatch to anyone, no matter how shady they were, and would use her earnings to spend for food and housing. She did this all of this before she found a new purpose her life, serving that amber eyed devil of a woman. How she stole all of the goods she did was very simple: her semblance of casting illusions. Not even those with the most adept perception could tell the difference between reality and her tricks.

But her illusions wasn't just physical but, in a sense, metaphorical. Emerald learned how to be deceitful in her ways of robbery. One wrong slip and anyone could find out she was deluding them, so she made sure to keep up an act when she'd do the deed. There have been certain times when her rouse has been discovered but most times she has gotten away scot-free. For example, she used that deception of hers today and wasn't suspected of anything.

She was tasked with a simple request from her master and completed it with ease. Emerald was ordered to find out anything and everything she could about, no matter where, what, or who she had to go to. She wasn't sure from where to start exactly, but she was fortunate to overhear the conversation between teams RWBY and JNPR. Perhaps she should have suspected them first; if RWBY's interference with Roman's recruitment of White Fang members meant anything, then those troublemakers would have been involved in this somehow.

So Emerald aimed to talk with one of them alone and get information out of them, and it worked. The girl in the red cape, Ruby Rose, trusted her right off the bat and told her everything she knew. She thought that she looked pretty naïve, especially young for a student at Beacon. Granted, she was earnestly surprised by what she was told, but she took it seriously.

Now informed with everything she needed to know, she waited until the meeting tonight had taken place. Once again the villains were gathered in the warehouse, listening to what Emerald had learned. Cinder was in the center with Mercury by her side, Roman and Neo were present, and Adam stood by a stack of crates.

"That's how it played out," concluded Emerald, "they were on a mission, one of them found and shot an ape, and they came here to warn us not to come again."

"Hmm…" Cinder was taking it all in, her hand holding onto her chin, lightly scratching it in thought. "So in other words, this was their way of retaliating. That's quite some restraint, I must say."

Emerald would have mentioned that she said the same thing herself to Ruby but decided not to. She was a little afraid of Cinder not caring about it.

"So that's where they were for those three days," Mercury realized, "thought I didn't see them anywhere."

As for Vale's serial criminal and his accomplice, they were surprised that those brats were responsible for this incident. As they were contemplating this revelation, Neo got Roman's attention to speak to him in sign.

 _Isn't West Dragon full of Grimm?_ She was somewhat concerned about that, as she believed traveling to West Dragon was suicidal because of the Grimm hordes. Roman thought so too, so he relayed his ally's question to Emerald. Though, not without twisting it a little.

"Hey, kid," he called out to her, "isn't West Dragon full of Grimm, or were you too dumb to not ask?" Both he and Neo gave out a snicker at the slight insult, and the thief glared at them for it.

"She _told_ me that they thought the continent was no longer infested, for some reason," she responded harshly. "They were partially correct, save for the Grimm Apes."

"What was their mission?" asked Cinder. When she was addressed by her employer, Emerald's expression and tone softened.

"To locate Dust on the continent," she informed.

"I assume they failed their mission because of the Grimm?" alleged Adam, speaking for the first time since the meeting.

"No, actually," she said, earning raised brows from everyone. "Ruby and her teammate, the Schnee girl, found Dust before they all encountered the apes."

"Really?" asked Mercury, feeling skeptical. "Three days they come up with nothing, and they find it the last minute?"

"It's a little cliché, I know," said Emerald in agreement. "Not exactly unbelievable though."

"… How much Dust did they find?" inquired Cinder. Emerald had a slightly nervous expression when asked that, but nonetheless answered.

"A lot, but… they didn't find regular Dust," she explained. "She told me that they found Dust Spires."

Now she was stared at by wide eyes. Dust Spires? They found the giant crystals of legends? That couldn't have been possible. The story of the Spires were the first forms of Dust found by man was a myth, and myths can't be proven. Though everyone believed that, Cinder was thinking something else.

She was told by her master that they existed. However, the witch said she didn't know if they lasted into modern time, or where they grew if they did. But to hear the Spires were discovered by a handful of students, that was concerning. However, she kept those thoughts to herself from everyone else.

"… Okay, now _that_ should be fake," claimed Mercury.

"I think she was telling the truth," said Emerald honestly.

"How would you know?" he questioned.

"She's a stupid little brat," she explained, "she'd believe in anything she sees. She sounded pretty serious anyway."

"That doesn't change the fact that the Spires are stupid fairytales!" Mercury exclaimed.

"Mercury, our own goal is believed by everyone to be a fairytale," said Cinder, "and the world has witnessed a new type of Grimm just yesterday. Don't you have any imagination?"

Mercury found himself lacking in a proper response, being questioned in front of everyone. "… I read comic books," he said weakly.

"That's not something to be proud of," deadpanned Roman, knowing full well that wasn't an excuse he could use.

"… The Spires… this may work to our advantage," muttered Cinder, who suddenly got an idea. Adam heard what she said, curious of what she plotted.

"What do you mean?" he asked of her.

"I mean that there will be a change to plans," she said, turning to the bull horned man. "Adam, does your troop possess any explosives in your encampment?"

Adam raised a brow. "Yes? Why do you ask?" at that, she donned a smirk.

"Because if the people of Vale are so afraid of these Grimm Apes," she said, "then perhaps we should expand that fear by making them vulnerable." Despite all the things revealed to her, she knew she had to continue with her plans. The apes may have not been her priority, she thought perhaps she could use them to further her plans. With a clear mind, she stated her intent to her allies standing before her.

"I want all Dust storages in Vale _destroyed_." Everyone was startled by her declaration.

"W-W-What?!" stammered Roman, so shocked that he almost couldn't comprehend what his employer just ordered.

"You want to destroy Vale's Dust reserves?" asked Emerald, so nervous at her leader's extreme demand that sweat was accumulating on her brow.

"Correct," said Cinder, who seemed to ignore everyone's reactions to her words. She turned back to Adam, "how long do you need to set the explosives?"

Adam seemed to be the least emotionally disturbed. No one could really tell what he was thinking, with that mask covering his eyes. However, he was staring at Cinder intently, as if he was considering whether she was serious about doing this. He wanted to make sure she was, because he would certainly do it if he was left with that option.

"… If we work at a leisurely pace," he answered, "we'll get it done before dawn. If we work fast, then perhaps just after midnight."

"And how much do you have?" she inquired. At that, Adam smirked.

"Believe me, we have enough," he said confidently.

"Good," stated Cinder. "Have your men work as fast as they can."

"N-Now wait a minute!" Roman interjected, "I'm not one for NOT causing chaos and destruction, but at the cost of valuable merchandise like Dust?! It wouldn't make me a happy person!"

Out of everyone here, Roman was taking the consequences seriously. He may have dealt in shady business for money, but it was business nonetheless. If Vale's Dust reserves were destroyed stocks would drop, markets will collapse, and every other economic function or system will cease. Doing this would mean he'd lose money, and Roman Torchwick without his money would be like a turtle outside of its shell – he'd be very uncomfortable.

"Calm yourself, Roman," Cinder told him. "You'll still get the wealth you desire so much, I assure you."

"But… why do you want to do this?" asked Emerald.

"Because I want to pit our enemies against each other," she claimed, peaking everyone's curiosity. Seeing that, she moved on to explain her plan's intention.

"If Vale's Dust reserves are destroyed, then there could be a chance that they go to the Spires, if they truly exist. The intention is to have them go to West Dragon for the Spires, and hopefully come into conflict with the Grimm Apes. If that does happen, then we'll take advantage."

"Well, what if they don't go for the Spires?" asked Mercury.

"Then they'll go somewhere else," she replied. "Either way they will be spread thin, trying to attain more Dust. The destruction of the Dust reserves will also strengthen the fear in this city and, hopefully, attract a good number of Grimm.

"Now, that is enough debating," she declared, "I am going through with these plans, and I would appreciate it if none of you stood in my way."

Adam seemed to be the most compliant with the plan. To him, humankind was a race of bastards who treated his people like fifth. For years the Faunus was second to man. The Faunus Rights Revolution wasn't enough to change that, nor was it able to account for them now. To deal such a blow the humans of Vale, he'd be happy to do it. Mercury also seemed most agreeable too, as he enjoyed the thought of seeing so much Dust cause massive explosions.

Roman and Neo were less agreeable. Once again, they were concerned with what this would do to the revenue of money in the criminal world of Vale. So much valuable resources that could be stolen, theirs for the taking, would be wiped out in an instant. They had to agree with the plan though, knowing that denying Cinder their cooperation would be fatal.

However, the one who agreed the least was of them was Emerald. To cause so much destruction and, quite possibly, death seemed very sad to her. It was sad to bring about so much pain and devastation just to get them closer to Cinder's goals. Nevertheless she complied with Cinder's plot, not because she felt forced to but because she wanted to. Cinder was everything to her – her purpose, her life, and her love. If it meant she had to destroy everything to support her, she'd do it in a heartbeat.

Thus, everyone settled on the plan, willing and ready to follow her. With that, Cinder Fall donned an evil grin of satisfaction.

"Good," she cooed. "Emerald, Mercury, you will assist the White Fang in placing these charges. Neopolitan, you will personally assist Adam in staging this."

The two people she mentioned last were surprised, and they looked at each other in confusion. Wouldn't Neo work with Roman and him alone? And doesn't Adam prefer his subordinates in the White Fang? What was Cinder thinking?

"Roman," she then addressed the serial criminal, "you will have the most important role, which must be fulfilled by you alone."

"Okay?" Roman wasn't sure what to think when he heard Cinder pair Neo with Adam. He guess that she was planning for him to do something alone, but he couldn't figure out what she wanted. That is, until she told him

"You will be stationed at a storage unit that will be the most guarded," she told him. "Then, once it is destroyed, you will reveal yourself… and you will be arrested."

…

"… WHAT?!"

"Uh… is that a smart move?" questioned Mercury.

"My thoughts exactly!" exclaimed a flabbergasted Roman. "Why the hell should I get caught?!"

"Oh please, Roman, it will be fine," said Cinder. It didn't sound particularly fine to Roman.

"Your deliberate arrest will serve as infiltration for us," she explained. "You'll get as much information on Vale and Atlas as possible. Then, when the time comes, you will act and cause confusion within them."

"But–!" Roman tried to retort.

"If it makes you feel any better," she interrupted, "we'll have the White Fang take part of the blame as well."

Adam looked at her in surprise but said nothing. He knew better than to act in defiance of her. If it was going to be known to the world that the White Fang would be responsible for this, then so be it. He would at least take pride in that.

"… All right, I see your point, but why me?!" questioned Roman.

"I'm fairly certain that your notoriety will raise awareness to their situation," she stated, but that wasn't the whole truth. "… Although, I suppose choosing you to do this was more out of personal reasons."

"… This is about me being late yesterday, isn't it?" assumed Roman. Cinder smirked at him, glad that he caught onto what she was doing with him. She hadn't punished him for his tardiness yet, so this was the best opportunity to do it.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Roman spouted. "I was late because of what was on the fucking news, in case you already forgot! That should be enough to clear me, right?!"

Cinder didn't say anything at first, as she stood up and walked over to him. She stroked the side of his face with her hand, looking at him softly, to his befuddlement.

"Oh, Roman. …" she said, sounding the kindest Roman had ever heard her. Suddenly, an aura shaped like a flame formed around her eye, her expression now stern and fierce.

"There is no kind of justification that can save you from me," she spoke in a cold voice, which made Roman fearful of her.

"… Oh." He gulped, and Cinder stepped away from him, taking it as his answer of compliance. As she walked away, he thought only two words. _"Fuck me."_

"Is everyone clear on what they must do?" Once she asked, everyone nodded. "Excellent. Then let's get started."

* * *

_Later that night, around eleven fifty at night._

* * *

It was close to midnight, as the dark night sky hung over Vale. Most if not all were asleep, tucked tightly in their beds by themselves or with their loved ones. At the several warehouses placed throughout Vale though, the guards were on night shift. These buildings were where the city's Dust storages were held, and it was where shipments of the Schnee Dust Company would be dropped off.

It had been a few months since Roman Torchwick and the White Fang had raided one of these warehouses, before they were halted by a few amateur hunters, including two members of team RWBY. However, security was increased since then, and had been kept up to that level since then. Vale's officials did not want to take any more risks, so they kept security as tight as possible, to ensure the past doesn't repeat itself.

Several guards were encircling one of the Dust warehouses in the industrial district, searching for any signs of disturbance. So many of them wanted to be anywhere else than there but had to do their jobs. For now it was their livelihoods, and they had no room to complain.

One guard, who was a bit far from the others, suddenly thought he heard something. He turned to his left and saw nothing, but was still wary. He kept his rifle in hand, walking towards where he thought he heard something.

Before he could do anything, something sharp was plunged into his throat. He instantly fell to his knees, bleeding out and unable to move or think. Another guard turned the corner and saw an intruder, a dark sinned girl with green hair, kill one of his peers. He aimed his weapon and prepared to fire, but he was quickly smashed in the face by a big boot and fell to the ground. A tall boy with gray hair, he quickly followed up his attack by stomping on the downed guard's neck. The force of his stomp snapped his neck, instantly killing him.

At the exact moment Emerald and Mercury murdered those two men, a group of White Fang emerged to quickly and silently slaughter the remaining guards. Bones were shattered, and blood was spilled, the methods used to kill them was diverse but efficient. With all enemies put down, they moved on with their real mission: setting charges.

As requested by Cinder, Adam was to supply as many White Fang soldiers as possible and spread teams across the city. She needed several warehouses with Dust to be destroyed if Vale's officials were to even consider going to the Spires. Adam complied, and each team stealthily killed their targeted warehouse's guards so that they could place charges without interference.

The duo of Mercury and Emerald were given their own squad of White Fang to lead, only for the night. Just moments after killing every guard, all of the necessary charges were placed. Emerald brought her hand to her ear, clicking on a communication device to tell Cinder of their completed mission.

"We're good," was all she said, a beep confirming that Cinder gotten her message.

"Man, this'll make one heck of an explosion," said Mercury with mischievous mirth. In response Emerald only rolled her eyes at him, once again annoyed by his immaturity. Disregarding him for now she pulled out the remote detonator, awaiting the command to activate it.

* * *

Adam drew his sword out of a guard's chest, their body falling to the ground with a thud. Adam cleaned the blood off his sword, showing little regard to the fresh corpse. He turned to his subordinates, as they finished placing charges throughout their warehouse. He was pleased by their efficiency.

"Everything's in place," he said, clicking onto his ear piece to record his words.

He suddenly heard someone scream in pain and fear. He saw Neo, that smaller woman he was paired with tonight, dealing with the last guard alive. She was playing with him, cutting him across his face, torso, and limbs, all while he was terrified of her while she wore such a sadistic smile. Eventually she finished the man off by slowly pushing her long thin sword, stored within her parasol, through his neck.

Adam assumed that the reason he was paired with her was so that she could keep an eye on him for Cinder, in case he did anything to defect from them tonight. If he did, he got a good idea of she would do to him for the betrayal. Upon seeing her sadism, he also wondered how that petty criminal Roman would tolerate that tri-colored girl. She was clearly a little demon in human skin.

Pushing those thoughts aside Adam pulled out his remote detonator, awaiting the command.

* * *

Roman and his party had finished off only a few guards at their location. As requested by Cinder, he had to be caught so that their actions would catch more attention, so he would go to the warehouse that would have the highest security. He gone for the warehouse in the commercial district, up where the upper classes lived. That would have been the warehouse that was the most funded for, as the richest people who lived near it wanted to feel safe. Even a few Atlas soldiers were stationed there, showing just how much was payed for security.

To comply with Cinder's plans, however, his group had only killed a small amount of guards who were key to maintaining security. Those who were left alive were a few soldiers standing outside the warehouse boundaries, keeping guard and very still. Once enough guards were dealt with, the terrorists placed their charges and ready to detonate.

"All clear. Waiting for signal," Roman informed, touching his ear piece.

Roman turned to his White Fang party and signaled for them to leave. They soon did so, and he stayed behind, but made sure to keep himself at a safe distance from the warehouse before it would explode.

"I'm about to flush my record down the drain," he said in a regretful tone. Of course, he was referring to the number of times he's successfully evaded capture, which was quite numerous.

"I hate all of this," he sighed in defeat, as he pulled out his detonator and awaited the command.

* * *

Cinder heard everyone's confirmation of completing their tasks, satisfied at how everything was done quickly, and nothing had gone awry.

"Good," she said into the main communicator, "await my command."

A beep from each channel confirmed they heard her, so she knew they were waiting now. She checked her scroll, the time reading 11:58pm. In less than ten seconds, it soon turned to 11:59. As it did, she thought.

 _"This must work… I_ need _this to work."_

If there was anything she feared, it was failure. She was afraid of the setback it would bring, the allies she would berate for it, the allies she'd lose, and the consequences she would face. Her master made certain that she would fear failure and achieve success at any cost to avoid it. Fortunately, she was very successful. Cinder was victorious in her mission so far, even though she had half of the power she was searching for.

This power, an ancient and godlike force, was sought by Salem for ages and Cinder was chosen to be a vassal for it. The hunger that was brought by what she had now, she knew that she just had to attain the rest. Although she knew that she couldn't match her master, even with that power, it didn't matter to much. Power was power after all, and even though it was just second to the Grimm Witch, it didn't make too much a difference to her.

Cinder waited for the minute to be over, felling like a lifetime had passed. She was rather eager to begin such awesome chaos and spread it, and see the world burn afterwards.

The time soon changed to midnight. Once she saw it, she gave out the order.

"Commence."

* * *

Everyone heard her command over the communicators. Emerald, Adam, Roman, and the White Fang at other locations pressed their respective detonators. From that the explosives imploded in a chain reaction, breaking down the walls of every building, inside and out. But the real fireworks began when the explosions reacted with every shard of Dust in a warehouse. Instantly, it made a devastating result.

Pillars of fire erupted from all over Vale. Massive, fiery explosions sounded out throughout the city, shaking the very ground. They were like underground volcanos that erupted in plumes of flaming devastation or like violent hellfire spilling out onto the world, all akin to the signs of a great oncoming apocalypse. With each explosion of Dust came an earth-shattering quake that rocked the whole city, possibly the continent as well. Each villain watched the coming storms they made, bright fire illuminating the night sky.

Emerald stared in shock while Mercury gawked with joy. Neo gaped in awe while Adam gazed with pride at his deed. Roman eyed the explosions with slight despair, seeing such valuable materials destroyed just like that. Nevertheless, he prepared to get seen by the surviving guards. Last but not least was Cinder, who watched the fires plaguing the kingdom from the villains' hideout with great satisfaction.

Hundreds of people in the city were woken up by the earth-shaking explosions. Many wandered outside of their houses, apartments, or hotels, witnessing the great fires that seemed to signal the end times.

Just moments before the explosion Roman's location, the Atlas soldiers standing guard heard every eruption of fire. It was one at first, but then there were more, and more. Eventually they realized what may have been going on, especially when they heard explosions near them.

They turned to their warehouse for a split second, then ran as fast as they could. They were suddenly blown away by the reacting Dust, imploding in a huge cloud of smoke and fire. Thankfully, they were fare enough to survive. They got back up to see the warehouse, the place they were supposed to be guarding, devoured by a horrible fire.

"DAMN!" exclaimed the first soldier, furious at their sudden failure.

"What the hell happened?!" questioned the other in anger.

Then, in the midst of the destruction, they saw something form. A silhouette, the shadow of someone coming towards them. Soon they saw a man in full detail, marked by his white jacket, cane, and bowler hat.

It was none other than Roman Torchwick. As the Atlas soldiers stared in a stupor, he looked around, taking in his surroundings, and said four words to the other men.

"Did _I~_ do that~?" he asked in an innocent tone.

The two soldiers said nothing for quite a moment, making Roman think they didn't understand him.

"… See, the joke is, that was a reference to this show–!" They tackled him before he could finish explaining the joke.

* * *

Blake Belladonna wasn't having much luck tonight. She began her search for information, but it didn't have a good start. She stayed late at the school library, probing through anything she could find on the computer terminal. But there wasn't anything she could find that could help her.

"Ugh," she grunted in displeasure, thinking sourly of her ordeal.

She hated this very much. Blake knew that the enemy wouldn't wait for everyone at Beacon to graduate, especially her team. To her though, it didn't seem like anyone else knew that. She was the only one going far with finding out what the White Fang's plans were. Her former brothers and sisters in arms were plotting something disastrous with Adam leading them and Roman working with them, she just knew it. Even though she was staying up so late to find information, she was left empty handed.

 _"There's nothing,"_ she thought impatiently. _"There's something about the stolen paladin, but that's nothing new."_

She was going to make a new search, until she suddenly her eyes felt heavy. She was getting sleepy. She fought off the throes of weariness, blinking her eyes and wiping them as much as she could, just to keep herself awake. She let out a yawn or two but stifled the rest that came afterward.

 _"No… don't lose your will now,"_ she thought to herself, _"I have to do this."_

Blake was sacrificing as much as she could now to get this done. Sleep, education, and socializing be damned, for she would stop at nothing to bring the criminals to justice. She would go as far as to forego her relationships, as she did today. However, Blake felt a little bad for how she spoke to her friends earlier. It couldn't be helped, as no one sane could get used to leaving their allies behind. But it didn't matter – it wasn't the only guilt she was bearing now, and it wasn't the worst.

Her greatest regret was causing all of this trouble with the Grimm Apes. If only she didn't confuse her memories with those two creatures, she wouldn't have shot one of them. Perhaps that entire army of apes would never have come if she didn't make that mistake. Perhaps no one in Vale would be in a state of panic if she hadn't done what she did. Perhaps…

It didn't matter. As she said before, what's done is done. So while she was wasting time reliving her guilt, she could be using it to find more information on the White Fang and the Dust robberies. Resolving to do that, she kept on searching on the terminal for more information. It didn't matter if she would find little to nothing tonight, she would do this again the next night, and the next, regardless of how long it would take her–!

Blake was distracted by a sudden tremor she felt through the building. Surprised, she stopped what she was doing to look around, unsure of what that was. With that gone and with no explanation, Blake continued to search for–!

There was another tremor. This time it was stronger.

"What?" she muttered confused.

A short moment passed, then a series of thunderous quakes rocked the school library. She saw the shelves shake and several books tumble to the floor. Her terminal was distorting, the tremors interfering with the signal.

"What's going on?!" Blake shouted, sitting up and running towards the exit. Though the earthquakes rumbled throughout library, she managed to get out.

As she did, she could faintly hear people speaking, questioning what was taking place. Another disruptive tremor occurred but, this time, Blake heard something deafening. It was an explosion.

Blake tried to find the source of such chaos. Eventually she got to the docks of Beacon, where she could oversee the city from afar. From there she saw what was exactly happening.

"Oh no…" she muttered in terror at the fiery sight.

* * *

Ruby had trouble sleeping. She was still worried about Blake, who hadn't returned since her little outburst. She didn't know what her silent friend was doing, hoping that she was okay wherever she was. Ruby wished that she knew that this entire ordeal was affecting her, or just how much she was affected. She wished that she could tell her that it wasn't her fault, that the apes came here for more than what she did, but Blake wasn't here. It worried her very much.

Another thing bothering her was what she did today – tell someone about the mission and the spires. Ruby decided that she could open up to Emerald because she was just curious. Ruby wasn't bound to secrecy, but she wasn't too sure if giving out such information was okay or not. But she did it anyway, believing that the girl from Haven would keep her word. Although… Ruby couldn't help but shake the feeling that she made a mistake.

Even though she was so bothered tonight, she couldn't let those thoughts keep her from sleeping any longer. She was doing her best, trying to count sheep in her head or even try to pretend to sleep, though it was taking longer than she wanted to.

Suddenly, her chances of sleeping were thrown out the window when she felt a series of tremors rock the dorm room. They were small and quick at first, but the tremors soon grew stronger and louder. The earthquake rocked her makeshift bunkbed, so much that the sheer force of them threw her off the top bunk and onto the floor. Yang, who was sleeping soundly on her top bunk, fell to the floor herself. Weiss heard the two fall as she felt her bed bellow Ruby's shake violently.

"What the what?!" exclaimed Ruby, not expecting these tremors in the slightest.

"Gwuh?" muttered Yang, utterly confused by what made her fall.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" spouted Weiss, equally confused as she was angry at the sudden quakes interrupting her sleep. The next thing they heard was loud knocking on their door.

"Guys?! You alright in there?!" it was Jaune, who sounded frantic. Ruby quickly went to the door, opened it, and saw the entirety of his team. Each of them disheveled and scared.

"We're fine!" Ruby confirmed, "what about you guys?!"

"We're alright, luckily!" replied Ren.

"Do you know what happened?!" asked Pyrrha.

"Damned if I know!" exclaimed Weiss, "this tremor just woke us up!"

"Is the whole world coming to an end, or something?!" Nora blurted out. Though everyone was startled by these earthquakes, no one was thinking the same thing she did.

"That's a pretty extreme claim," Ruby noted.

"I wouldn't count it out though," stated Jaune. He was a bit paranoid.

"Well, let's see it for ourselves!" suggested Yang.

So each of them ran down the halls, despite being in their night clothes. Whether they wore slippers or ran barefoot, the raced down the hall and through the building despite the tremors. Thankfully they started to die down, but they had to figure out why this was happening. These weren't normal earthquakes after all.

As soon as they were outside, they saw everyone else out on campus grounds, some panicking over the tremors. Before they could search for what was causing this, they heard someone call out to them. All seven of them turned and saw Blake running towards them.

"Blake!" Ruby called out to her, "where have you been?!"

"I've been working!" said Blake, "you all felt the school vibrate, right?!"

Yang wasn't sure what her partner meant by _working_. "What do you mean working–?!"

"It doesn't matter!" she interrupted Yang, "come on, I know where it happened!"

They were surprised that Blake had found out the source of this madness. They followed her all the way to the Beacon docks, and she pointed them to where they could see the city. Once they did, each of them had their reactions to the devastating sight.

"Huh?!" exclaimed Jaune.

"Oh my god!" spouted Ruby.

"Dear lord!" Pyrrha shouted.

"HOLY SHIT!" blurted Yang.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" questioned Weiss.

Each of them saw the city of Vale surrounded by pillars of fire. They were massive, the fires reaching very high while the smoke rose up to the sky. They could see several vehicles, in the air and ground, trying to fight it with volumes of water, but the fires seemed to be hardly affected at all. It was such a hellish sight, to see their kingdom in flames.

"This… can't be!" proclaimed Ren in his stunned horror.

"The city's on freaking fire!" Nora stated the obvious, all while she was astonished at the sight of destruction

"Blake, did you see this happen?!" Ruby asked her.

"No! I was in the library and felt the entire campus tremble!" she asserted.

"Fuck, the fires are huge!" exclaimed Yang, "how the heck could that have happened?!"

"Oh god… could it have been an accident?" said Jaune. Pyrrha, however, deduced that it was something else entirely.

"No… this doesn't look like it was unintentional," she claimed, to everyone's shock.

"You mean someone caused this?!" Ruby queried, stunned by the mere idea of this being on purpose.

"But who?!" demanded Nora, "why would anyone do this?!"

"Someone or something must be taking advantage of the Kingdom's situation," Ren reasoned. "It might not be a coincidence that this happened _after_ the apes came into the city."

"B-But if this was an attack, why are those places in the city blown up?!" asked a disbelieving Yang. "And how can fires that big happen, anyway?!"

"Dust…" everyone looked at Weiss when she spoke so ominously.

"What?" Ruby asked.

"Dust is volatile," Weiss explained, "susceptible to anything that will cause an explosion. And enough of it can cause a detonation like this."

"Where would there be enough Dust in Vale to cause this?" asked Jaune.

"… Warehouses," upon saying that her eyes widened more than they already were. She turned to everyone else, with an expression of realization and fear.

"I think… I think the city's Dust supplies were targeted."

The others were stunned. Vale's entire storages of Dust were destroyed? If that was true, what was going to happen to Vale now? They all looked down to the city, disturbed by the scene before them. First it was the Grimm Apes, now it was the destruction of the city's Dust. If this wouldn't cause attraction for a horde of Grimm, teams RWBY and JNPR didn't know what would.

Ruby, for some reason, felt in her gut as if the "mistake" she made today was in fact an error in judgement. She didn't know why.

* * *

_The next day, morning._

* * *

The people were once again in a mass state of panic. This time, however, it was better controlled. General Ironwood had issued for several stores to be closed, roads to be blocked, and homes to be guarded. Every area where destruction had occurred were soon quelled down, the massive fires eventually quenched by a mass effort from firefighters.

The panic truly came from the announcement of the fire's devastating results: Vale's Dust supplies were reduced to nearly zero. The only Dust left was what was already used for energy, and a few minor resupplies. Dust shops all around the city were offering what they had to support the city, but it was far from enough amount. Soon, the entire city would have to resort to alternative energies such as fossil fuel and electricity, which would be used up much faster than Dust.

Fear once again gripped the citizens, arguably more so than when the apes arrived. The only reason people weren't running amok on the streets were the Atlas soldiers keeping everyone in check. More chaos would only attract more Grimm; rumors and sightings of a horde approaching were already spreading, though officials were claiming that everything outside the city was in order. Nevertheless, the public's unrest was very obvious.

The students and staff at Beacon were just as devastated as the people. Team RWBY and JNPR were especially upset, having seen the pillars of fire for themselves and already deducing why it happened. Right now, they were watching the Vale News Network in RWBY's dorm room, with Lisa Lavender covering the report.

"… Although there is no official death count, experts are stating that it is very likely people are missing or dead from the explosions. And in recent developments, the people of Vale are completely terrified of what could come next, considering how the city was recently invaded by the 'Grimm Apes' a day ago, and now this. People are also concerned over the city's supplies, or lack of, as the explosions of the warehouses has left Vale almost completely vacant of Dust for fuel and energy. Eventually, the city will have to run on reserve energy." Each of them were visibly uncomfortable at that.

"However, authorities have apprehended a suspect in the explosions – the serial criminal of Vale's underworld, Roman Torchwick. Although Torchwick hasn't made a statement to Vale's police department or the Atlas military, we've also gotten word that a faction of the White Fang are claiming responsibility for the damages. The councils of Vale and Atlas are vowing to retaliate for the acts of terrorism. In other news…"

After that, they turned off the scroll they were watching the program on.

Blake was internally furious. She knew this was going to happen eventually. They were going to do something that would seriously damage Vale, and they did it. But even in her wildest dreams, she'd never thought her former comrades, all under Roman's thumb, would subject the innocent to this hell. Yes, a world without the power of Dust was equivalent to Hell on Remnant. The maniacs had done it! They blew it all up!

What made really her angrier though, that while she knew something was coming, she wasn't there to prevent it. Blake promised herself that she would stop them, to bring them to their judgement, but she was nowhere to do it. She wasn't ready, even where she was now. She worked her hardest to try to get more information and it wasn't enough. It meant that she had to work harder to truly win against them.

All while she was enveloped in her anger, the others were wallowing in sorrow. The sheer annihilation brought upon this city was too much.

"Man… this has been the roughest week of my life," said Jaune.

"For once, I agree with you," claimed Weiss. Jaune was surprised to hear those words from Weiss Schnee, the girl he had affections for.

"Really–?!"

"That isn't something for you to be proud of," she declared immediately, her eyes staring at him like daggers.

He sulked at the immediate rejection. He slumped sadly and Pyrrha patted him on the shoulder, comforting him in his failure.

"I can't believe this," said Yang, herself angry at what the enemy had done. "Those bastards won't give us a break, will they?"

"No… they won't," stated Blake, almost growling when she spoke.

"I suppose there's nothing we can do about it now," said Ren, who felt melancholic about this tragedy.

"Nothing?" questioned Nora, "but we shouldn't let people who did this get away with it!"

"I wouldn't want to leave them go either," agreed Pyrrha, "but at this point… what's done is done."

"Unfortunately, that is true," stated Weiss.

It was exactly as they said. Even though the White Fang had claimed their responsibility, they weren't detained for it. Although Roman was arrested for his suspected collusion in this ordeal, it wouldn't make up for the deaths. As if it was a hit and run, they struck when it was least expected and ran before they could be caught. It was the misfortune of the innocent, to suffer from the actions of the guilty.

"Well… that sucks," spoke Yang disappointedly. Ruby had said nothing since last night but, with her stern expression, everyone assumed that she was silently grieving.

"Well… then we should move on for today… I-I mean, if we can," Jaune weakly suggested.

"I hope so," stated Pyrrha. So they stood from wherever they sat, heading for the door and preparing for any classes today. All of them moved forward… all except Ruby.

Noticing her team leader not moving from where she sat on one of the beds, she went over to get her moving.

"Ruby, come on," Weiss told her, "we don't exactly have time to waste."

Ruby didn't say anything, as her expression was becoming more contemplative. Everyone looked to the usually cheerful girl sitting in silence.

"Ruby?" Weiss addressed her leader but wasn't acknowledged.

"Rubes?" questioned Yang. "You doin' okay lil sis–!"

"All of the city's Dust is gone," stated Ruby, interrupting her sister to everyone's confusion. "That's what they said on the TV, right?"

"… That's… correct…" Ren confirmed, unsure of Ruby's demeanor.

"… I see," said the red caped girl.

"Ruby, are you alright?" asked Jaune.

"… No," she then stood up, looking at everyone before her. "I'm upset that this happened, and I'm upset that I don't know why. But even though I'm upset, I'm not going to use my time sulking. I want to find a way to get more Dust for the city."

"What?" questioned Weiss.

"Have you… thought of a way?" inquired Pyrrha.

"I have… sort of," Ruby replied, sounding a little unsure of herself.

"What do you mean 'sort of'?" asked Jaune.

"… There's one thing I've thought of that might save the city: The Dust Spires." Ruby's proclamation shocked everyone, as they had an inkling of understanding of where Ruby was going with this.

"What?" questioned Blake. While everyone was focused on their leader, Yang realized that Blake didn't know that Ruby and Weiss discovered the Spires. Blake was too busy distancing herself, doing whatever she was doing at night, and they didn't get the chance to inform her on everything.

"Guys…" Ruby took a moment before she made her intentions clear. She wasn't entirely sure if this was a good idea, considering everything that happened over the week. However, if action wasn't taken now, then it may never will be and it would have consequences. Taking a deep breath, Ruby spoke as bravely as she could.

"I think we should go back to West Dragon!" she declared.

""WHHAAAAATT~?!"" exclaimed everyone else in utter surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note, 7/27/18:
> 
> Hey, I’m back to this! I apologize to everyone waiting for this chapter. I’ll repeat what I said in the update to Team JGJO, if anyone’s read that, life had a lot of ups and downs for me that I couldn’t get it out sooner. Fortunately, I got it out today! In the same month as my second story’s update no less.
> 
> Now, this chapter was much more villain focused, and I had a lot of fun writing from their perspectives. Hopefully the logic of Cinder’s plan is sound – she destroyed Vale’s Dust supplies so that she could force the Kingdom to spread itself out in order to find more Dust. That plan especially works more with her recent knowledge of the Dust Spires; Vale would send people to West Dragon, and cause conflict with the Grimm Apes. That’s the gist of it. The plan may attract native Grimm, but she deems it necessary to attain her goal. Basically the Dust Spires were made as this story’s version of the plot with the dam in the movie. Of course getting our heroes to return for the Spires called for more motivation than what was seen in the movie, which was a little difficult to plot out, but I think I managed.
> 
> I also had fun describing the explosions made in the story. I hope they give a great visual for readers. Also… there were the more graphic scenes. This was honestly my first time describing a few people getting killed, though I’m not sure if I made them mild or too graphic. And Neo’s kill may have been a little… sadistic, even though that’s somewhat part of her character. I hope it wasn’t too disturbing for some readers, hence the warning at the top of the chapter.
> 
> We’re also getting more into Blake’s personal conflict – trying to figure out the villains’ plans and her guilt for instigating the affair with the Grimm Apes. I’m pretty much gonna conclude that arc next chapter, hopefully it will work out. I’ll pretty much portray her acknowledging that she can’t forego her health for her search, but she’ll still have some tensions about the apes until she gets to know them better.
> 
> I hope I didn’t portray Ruby as too naïve. She is a pretty trusting person, but the information she had was very important. It’s just that with nothing exactly holding her back and Emerald having deduced her already, she believed that Emerald was someone she could trust. Hopefully, that’s enough of reason for her to spill the beans like that. Obviously it was going to be used against her but still.
> 
> That’s all I got. I’m gonna work on posting chapters 7 through 9 this August, I’m not sure what I’ll do afterwards. Hopefully if I have enough time before school, I’ll either post two more chapters of Team JGJO or publish a new story. See you then.
> 
> Also, the second of my poll series is up now (on Fanfiction.net)! I am doing a few polls to see what readers want me to publish on the site! Check my profile and please vote on what you’d like me to work on! And check the profile to also see the results of the first poll! Laters!
> 
> P.S. if you got the reference Roman was making, props to ya. May’ve been a little out of place but it was worth making that joke.


	7. Return to West Dragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ownership:  
> RWBY is owned by creator Monty Oum, God rest his soul, and Rooster Teeth Productions.  
> Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is owned by 20th Century Fox, Chenrin Entertainment, and TSG Entertainment. 
> 
> I, the humble author of this fan-work, own absolutely nothing, gain no profit whatsoever, and wish only to express my writing and love for these fandoms artistically.
> 
> /–\–/–\–/–\–/–\–/–\–/–\–/–\
> 
> I almost missed updating this week because I saw a shitty movie. God dammit. Also, two characters make their debut this chap’.

Chapter 7: Return to West Dragon

If there was anything Vale learned today, it was that once fear griped the people, all rationality would be thrown out the window. Everyone was terrified that all of the city's Dust reserves were obliterated in a single night. Roars of panic and dissent rang throughout the city, everyone losing their minds over such a devastating such a horrid disaster.

Authorities were having a difficult time controlling the people. No one would listen to them, several citizens maddened by the ordeal. Many wanted to take to the streets and announce that it was the end times. The chaos was barely contained, soldiers and police had resorted to force to keep people at bay. None of the students at Beacon were called into action as they were the other day, after the Grimm Apes' invasion. The situation in the city seemed too dangerous for the inexperienced hunters to handle.

Speaking of them, everyone at Beacon was overly concerned. Staff were once more having a difficult time handling their students. Everyone was either panicky or simply had too much on their minds. Several students claimed to be sick, or others were outright avoiding socializing today. They were all afraid of Vale's future, and who could blame them?

Despite all the shock and fear, everyone tried to control themselves as much as they could, otherwise the Grimm would attack. They were attracted to fear, hate, all manner of negative emotion, and there was enough of it to attract a large horde at this point. It would be ironic, first the city was peacefully invaded by the Grimm Apes, then it may be overrun by normal, violent Grimm.

Everyone may have been shaken up by all of this misfortune. However, if there was anyone who was the angriest at this, General James Ironwood would be just that. He was furious how everything happened, the apes and the Dust, and he did nothing to stop it. He may have not known they happened until too late, but he still strictly blamed himself for all of it. As the leader of the Atlas military, he swore to protect Remnant from all hostile forces. Vale was no exception, and he believed he broke his oath to that Kingdom.

He made fairly sure that his own grievances were known to his colleagues. He met with Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch at the Beacon Headmaster's office, invited by the former to come. What was supposed to be a discussion about state of Vale, however, turned to be James spouting about his supposed failures.

"This is a complete mess!" he shouted, slamming his fist on Ozpin's desk.

"James…" said Ozpin, trying to address him calmly.

"Twice… twice has something happened under my nose," he claimed. "First an army of talking Grimm, now the obliteration of Vale's Dust reserves. What kind of protector am I?"

"You've done your best, James," Glynda consoled, "no one could blame you for any of this."

"The people seem to disagree." Ironwood retorted.

Unfortunately, he was somewhat right. The people of Vale were still wary and discontented with major numbers of Atlas soldiers stationing within the kingdom. That discontent was especially made known after the day the Grimm Apes arrived, as the citizens blamed Ironwood and Atlas for doing nothing and accused that they will still do nothing.

"I understand that the people's opinions are not easy to swallow," stated Ozpin, "but you wouldn't dare let that stop you, wouldn't you?" Ironwood said nothing in response to the older man's stern words.

"The road to recovery isn't going to be easy," Ozpin continued, "but it should be traveled with a clear, open mind. If we're going to make a remedy to our situation, then we better do it without anyone stopping us, even if they're the people we're trying to help who try to put us down."

"… You're right, Oz," stated Ironwood. In the end it didn't matter how much he blamed himself for all of this. He was a man of action before anything else, and he'd blame himself more if he did nothing to atone for this.

"We have to fix this, no matter what it takes out of us," said the General firmly.

"Excellent," agreed Ozpin. "I'm glad you came to my beckoning, James."

At that, Ozpin took out a somewhat large device. Ironwood recognized as a communication device, but one of the more advanced types. Whoever was contacted would be seen by the caller as a holographic vision of themselves, and vice versa. It was a revolutionary form of interaction that used visuals for the people of Remnant.

"He wanted you to help in negotiations with… _him_ ," Glynda explained to Ironwood why Ozpin wanted to see him. Ironwood knew who they were going to call, especially noting how Glynda seemed distasteful of that idea.

"Right, but why did you need me?" he asked. "He's not picky with who he talks too."

"He is in this case," claimed Ozpin. "You're closer to him than we are, and he's not very fond of me at the moment."

Ironwood was a little confused by what Ozpin meant, but didn't think too much afterwards. They all stood at the front of Ozpin's desk, and the Headmaster turned on the device. In almost an instant, it ejected a holographic form that soon took shape.

They saw the visage of Jacques Schnee, the President of the Schnee Dust Company, hover before them. The phasing blue color of the hologram obscured Jacques' colors, but his facial features were in full view. He was in his usual suit and tie, his pure white hair combed back while a bushy mustache grew on his upper lip. The slender business man looked towards his callers, giving them a condescending look.

"Well, if it isn't the Headmaster of Beacon Academy himself, yet again," he announced, his voice slightly distorted by the holographic caller.

"Herr Schnee, it's pleasant to speak with you again," said Ozpin politely.

"Hmph," was all Jacques said in response, then turned his attention to the Atlas General.

"James," he addressed, "I see you've been doing well with occupying Vale."

"You know that's not what I'm doing, Jacques," argued Ironwood.

"Regardless of that, I'd like to get the point," stated Ozpin. "I'm certain you heard of what happened to the city of Vale?"

"Of course," said the SDC President. "The destruction of your kingdom's Dust reserves has been flooding the news feed and bothering me all night and day."

"I'm certain it has. And perhaps you know why I am contacting you?" Ozpin assumed.

"Perhaps I might," implied the Schnee.

"Jacques, Vale needs to restock on Dust immediately," claimed Ironwood. "If we don't get enough by the end of the month, the city will have to go on electricity, gas, and other fuel sources, which won't last nearly as long as the remaining Dust being used now."

"So you wish for me to send Vale all of the Dust I can afford to give, in attempt to save the kingdom from going back to the stone age?" Jacques deduced.

It did make sense that they went to him. The Schnee Dust Company was the main deliverer of Dust to all of the four kingdoms. The company had revolutionized the revenue of Dust all across Remnant, but Jacques had soiled that legacy with all manner of scandals and shady deals. Nevertheless he was the President, so to get Dust immediately one would have to go to him.

"Now why should I do that, exactly?" he questioned with a sneer. "I don't send rewards to customers who hardly pay my company, mind you."

His refute put the others in a slight shock. Of course it wasn't going to be easy to talk to him, but he just coldly denied them their request for help. It was a bit difficult to stomach how much trouble he would give them.

Ozpin was certain as to why Jacques specifically denied their request. He gave Ozpin funding for a mission to explore West Dragon for any valuable sources of Dust. He wanted to gain more than just using from the company's main Dust mines. Of course that mission was a failure, thus causing that rift between the President'

"How can you say such things when a city is on the brink of _shutting down_?!" exclaimed Glynda.

"Please Jacques–!" Ironwood tried to plea, but he was ignored.

"I asked one thing of you, Ozpin," Jacques addressed the Headmaster. " _One_ thing. Send my daughter to West Dragon, have her locate sources of Dust, and send the locations to me so that my company can immediately go to work there.

"What do you do instead?" he asked rhetorically, "You send her there with seven others, they find nothing, and are chased off by a bunch of monkeys."

If there was ever a time Ozpin felt regret, now may have been one of those times. He told Herr Schnee that the students didn't find any trace of Dust, which angered him. Jacques was giving them a hard time because of he was disappointed by the results.

"They were highly intelligent Grimm armed to the teeth with spears and horses!" Ironwood retorted.

"Yes, I heard of these 'Grimm Apes' being armed," said Jacques skeptically. "Honestly, nothing but animals playing dress-up, if you ask me. All of you are excited over nothing."

"How dare you–?!"

Glynda tried to call him out for his indignance, but Ozpin stopped her. He spoke to the President once more, hoping that he would get him to listen this time. If it was Dust Jacques Schnee wanted, then perhaps he still had the chance to give it to him.

"Jacques–!"

"When did I give you permission to call me that?" inquired Jacques.

"… Herr Schnee," Ozpin said in correction. No one really noticed the slight irritation in his voice, keeping it as low as possible.

"If you won't do this for Vale, you can certainly do this for yourself," Ozpin claimed, earning a raised brow from Jacques. "There's something I didn't tell you about West Dragon. Something the students found that will grab your interest."

At that, Glynda and Ironwood looked at the Headmaster curiously. What was he talking about? What could get that icy man to actually help the kingdom?

Before Ozpin gave the big reveal, the doors to the tower's elevator opened in the office. Everyone looked to see eight particular youths in surprise.

* * *

_A few moments earlier._

* * *

Ruby's friends thought she gone mad today. Anyone would be worried sick and fearful of the city's weakened condition, but no one was suggesting ways to fix this. Ruby was an exception, but what she had in mind was beyond comprehension to her peers today. Everyone was trying to stop her, as she journeyed across the campus to reach Beacon Tower.

After watching the news report, she suggested that they go to West Dragon. Why? Because on their mission, she and Weiss discovered the legendary Dust Spires, the massive forms of Dust that were said to reach the sky. She thought if they could attain them somehow, then perhaps they could refuel the city and avoid using more obsolete fuel sources. Of course, there was one major issue with going to West Dragon: the Grimm Apes.

The apes that resided there were obviously going to stand in their way, if not outright oppose them. As everyone remembered, the Grimm Apes came to this city as peacefully as they could and warned them to not visit their home. If they did, then war would be declared. Their leader said this to Ruby directly. So teams RWBY & JNPR knew that if they returned to West Dragon, them especially as the apes remembered them the most, then it would be disastrous.

To her friends though, Ruby didn't seem to recognize that fact, as she firmly suggested they return to that continent. They tried to stop her, but Ruby was headstrong, heading for Ozpin's office and determined to suggest him this plan of hers.

While they moved along, Yang quickly explained to Blake that they found Dust Spires on West Dragon. She wasn't informed about them yet as she was off on her own, and the others didn't tell her yet because of everyone had too much on their minds. Though Blake was surprised about learning that such legendary items existed, like the others were at first, she pushed that feeling to the side and focused on stopping Ruby.

"Ruby, WAIT!" her teammate Weiss yelled at her, trying to stop her. "WAIT, GODDAMMIT!"

"Ruby, come on!" said Yang restlessly, "even _I'm_ trying to stop you here!"

"Ruby, listen to us!" Jaune nervously requested. "There's no way we should go back there!"

"Jaune's right!" Pyrrha concurred. "Returning to West Dragon could only lead to disaster!"

"There aren't any other options," reasoned Ruby.

"There's _literally_ so many other options!" Weiss refuted.

"Ruby, please be rational about this!" begged Ren. "If we go back there… it could mean war!"

"Yeah, don't you remember the Grimm Apes?!" said Nora, "they see us there, they'll come back to break our legs!"

Despite Nora always referring to breaking legs as the worst outcome, she wasn't necessarily wrong. Ruby stopped moving to address them directly, hoping to let them understand her reasons for this apparent madness.

"… They should understand–!"

"You don't know that they will!" Blake interrupted her. "They'll fight us and the Kingdoms if we go back there. We don't know how far those Grimm will go for revenge–!"

"THEY DIDN'T COME HERE BECAUSE YOU SHOT ONE OF THEM!" Ruby exclaimed. Everyone was surprised by her outburst, something she wouldn't usually do. She may be more serious than they thought she was.

"W-What?" Blake questioned, confused by what Ruby meant.

"Don't you get it?" she asked them. "They're not monsters like the Grimm. They're almost… no, they _are_ people, like us. But they didn't come here just because of what you did, even though it may have instigated it.

"They came to Vale because they _knew_ that anyone would think of them as just Grimm," she explained to the others. "They came to prove us wrong. They're not monsters, they're people like us, Humans and Faunus alike."

Everyone was rather surprised by how she spoke so maturely. Speaking of the apes as 'people' … may have been a stretch, but it didn't feel inaccurate. Those creatures were intelligent and obviously sapient, more so than any other Grimm on Remnant.

And Ruby didn't recognize them as just Grimm. Not as wild beasts made of the shadows that cause death and destruction, but as another species that could be on the level of humans and Faunus. It was rather impressive how Ruby was accepting of them, though it could have been part of her naivety.

"But even though they warned us not to come back, we may not have a choice," Ruby explained. "Our city has very little Dust and it's already being used, and the other Kingdoms may not help in time. Besides, wouldn't it be best if we make friends with them?"

"Make friends… with talking Grimm?" Weiss repeated questioningly.

"That doesn't sound like a good idea," said Jaune, who didn't look like the only one with that opinion.

"It might not," Ruby admitted, "but we can't ignore them now; they revealed themselves to the world. So if we're going to live on the same planet together, then we better not do it while we're at each other's throats.

"It's kind of like what Ozpin said: we have to work together." Ruby finished, with her companions looking at her with unsure expressions, but newfound understanding as well.

*Sniff*

Everyone then looked to Yang, who gazed at her younger sister with a sense of pride. She seemed to be on the verge of crying tears of joy. They were all shocked to see Yang with this expression, but then realized that she was Ruby's older sibling. So of course she'd react this way to Ruby's decisive action and tolerance.

Yang gave out one last sniffle, then wiped her happy tears away.

"Sis… how did you grow up so fast?" asked Yang, getting a giggle out of Ruby.

"Heh… I wish I knew, sis," she answered, and the two embraced tightly in a sisterly hug. Everyone felt a sense of warmth and elation at the heartening scene. It took a short moment before the two released each other

"Alright… I'm with ya," Yang declared confidently.

"Thank you, Yang," said Ruby gratefully, then turned to the others. "Anyone else want to come?"

After hearing her out and seeing that loving embrace between siblings, how could they not? So, the entirety of the two teams went together, heading straight for Beacon Tower to discuss their plan with the Headmaster. If it turned out that the apes would deny them, then so be it. Vale was on the verge of falling, and they couldn't do nothing to prevent that.

Everyone once again entered the tower and gone into the elevator, like they did on the day of that fateful mission. They moved up to the office within seconds, opened the door to see Ozpin, Professor Goodwitch, General Ironwood, and–!

"Weiss?" said the voice of Jacques Schnee. Each of the students were surprised to see a holograph of the SDC's chairman hovering behind the adults. Why was he calling the other adults over a hologram communicator?

"FATHER?!" yelled a baffled Weiss.

"Students, this is a private meeting," Professor Goodwitch informed them. "If you could all go back and wait–!"

"There's no time!" Ruby proclaimed, "I have an idea about fixing Vale's Dust problem!"

Ozpin gazed at Ruby with a serious expression. He had a good idea of what the red caped girl was about to tell them.

"Ms. Rose, whatever you're suggesting, we'd prefer that you'd tell us afterwards," said Ironwood.

"Mr. Ironwood sir, I think this could be our best shot," said Ruby, then followed with telling them her plan. "We have to use the Dust Spires."

…

"… Those… are just fairytales," the General responded in a deadpan.

The students were confused by the looks they were given. Ironwood gave a look of disbelief while Glynda seemed disappointed in them, while Jacques had, from what they could tell, a clear expression of amusement at Ruby's plan.

 _"Huh? Did Professor Ozpin not tell them?"_ thought Ruby, puzzled as to why the Headmaster hadn't told his colleagues everything.

"Ms. Rose, of all things to say…" Glynda voiced her harsh skepticism of the students. "Now if you all could please leave–!"

"She's not just saying that," Ozpin suddenly claimed, catching his associates' attention.

"Pardon?" said Jacques, suspicious of the Headmaster

"As I was about to tell you three," said Ozpin, "the mission to West Dragon our students here participated in was not a complete failure. They found Dust, and it was indeed in the forms of the Spires."

"Wha… What?" muttered Glynda in a shocked and befuddled state.

"They're… real?" questioned Ironwood, having no idea how to comprehend his friend's words.

"… So you lied to me?" stated Jacques, feeling angrier then surprised.

"At first, I believed it wasn't necessary to tell you," Ozpin reasoned, "but with recent developments, and your lack of cooperation, then now was the time to tell you." The President didn't respond to Ozpin, but instead turned his attention towards Weiss.

"… Did you choose not to tell me, Weiss?" his accusation of his daughter caught the heiress completely off guard.

"Wh-What?! No, Father, I would never!" Weiss stammered a little, but she was being truthful. She wasn't told to inform her father directly of her findings, and believed she didn't have to do so in the first place.

"… I suppose it doesn't matter, for now," stated her father, making her nervous. She knew that he was going to bring this up at a later date, and he wouldn't be as lenient next time.

"Now, Ruby, did you wish to tell us something about solving the city's situation?" asked Ozpin, returning to the matter at hand.

"Y-Yeah," said Ruby, regaining her composure. "I think we should go back to West Dragon, and maybe mine the Spires."

"And how do you plan to do that with those Grimm there?" Ironwood inquired.

"Well… I think we should negotiate with them," she stated. She was unsure whether they would believe that would even be possible.

"Negotiate?" Professor Goodwitch questioned.

"Yeah," she confirmed. "They might not like us coming back, but if we can convince them that we need the Dust to fuel our city, then things could go smoothly for us!"

"Hmph, why do you need to negotiate with monkeys?" enquired Jacques arrogantly. "We could take the Spires ourselves… if they really do exist."

"W-Well…" Ruby didn't know what exactly to say to that, other than a vehement 'no.'

"It wouldn't be right of us to do that," Pyrrha interjected. "It is their land, their home, so we should request the apes' permission to work on the Spires." Ruby was thankful she worded that better than she could.

"She's right," agreed Jaune, "we can't just do what we want because we're desperate."

"Yeah, they're people like us!" Yang proclaimed. "They deserve to have a say in!"

Jacques laughed mockingly at the blonde's words. "Grimm? People? Heh, now that's preposterous–!"

"It's true, Father," Weiss declared, surprising him. "It's bizarre to say this, but they're far from being just Grimm capable of speech. They may be able to negotiate with us.

"And believe me Father," she continued, "the Dust Spires do indeed exist. I've found them myself with Ruby here." The aforementioned girl looked at Weiss in surprise, being cited to her partner's father in that manner.

Jacques Schnee said nothing, staring intently at his daughter. Weiss wasn't sure if she crossed a line with him or not, but she felt it was worth it. The Grimm Apes deserved credit as a species with their own rights; her father could be a very callous man and she wasn't going to let him speak so derisively of the apes.

"Well, Herr Schnee?" Ozpin addressed him, getting his attention back. "Aren't you interested in the Spires now? You heard it from your daughter herself."

"… Fine," he finally gave in. "If your negotiations with these… apes, goes well, then I'd expect a clearance call. I'll send my company's mineworkers to the continent, and they'll get to work on them immediately."

"Very well," stated Ozpin.

"And I expect that call from Weiss," decreed the President, having the last word in this agreement. "Is that clear?"

"… Yes, father," complied Weiss, albeit reluctantly.

"Good," he said, "I'll take my leave." With that, his hologram faded out and the communication device. Weiss internally sighed to see her father finally go.

"Well then, Ruby," the Headmaster addressed the leader of team RWBY.

"If you believe that this can be done," he told them, "then I will allow you to return to West Dragon. You can begin this return trip in a few days. We'd like to take some time calm the citizens down, if you don't mind."

"That's not a problem, Headmaster," complied Ruby, feeling gratitude for her elders accepting her and her friends' plan. "Thank you."

"No, Ruby… thank you," he said, surprising Ruby. "You may all leave, unless you have anything else to say."

The students turned to each other for a moment, then turned towards the elevator. Once the doors closed and they were gone, leaving the Atlas General and two Beacon staff members in the office

"Do you honestly believe a negotiation would work?" Ironwood questioned. He had a lot of reasons to doubt that those students would be successful in this endeavor.

"I'd actually be surprised if negotiations didn't work," stated Ozpin, puzzling the others.

"How?" asked Glynda. "There shouldn't be any possibility of Grimm being capable of talking things out. Even if those Grimm are… abnormal."

"… Even so, the sense of humanity these Grimm Apes possess is astounding," stated Ozpin, "and it shouldn't be underestimated. And the one who led those apes… I'm not sure why, but I feel as if that particular Grimm must be the most humane creature to ever exist."

* * *

"So, I guess we have to wait a few days," noted Jaune.

Everyone felt a little more pleasant than they did today. The discussion had gone more smoothly than expected, even with the skepticism from them. Seeing Jacques Schnee worried them, as the man certainly could have tampered with convincing the others, even the Headmaster. But even he felt compelled to let them go through with this.

Perhaps it showed just how dire of a situation Vale was in right now, letting students conduct such plan based on luck. Or maybe it showed that their superiors, the adults, actually trusted them with this. Maybe they believed in them, that they would successfully negotiate with the apes about the Spires. Whatever the case may be, they had the confidence to go through with their plan.

"Perhaps we could plan what we should do for negotiations?" Pyrrha suggested.

"What, like a speech?" assumed Yang.

"A speech could work," agreed Ren.

"Hmm…" she hummed in thought, then turned to her leader to ask her. "What do you think, Rubes?"

"Uh… yeah." Everyone stopped when they heard Ruby's tone. It sounded nervous, uncertain, afraid. Everyone looked at her, who had an expression to match her sullen voice.

"Ruby, what on Remnant happened to you?" demanded Weiss, "you were rather bolder only moments ago."

"… Guys, I think I should do this alone," she announced, shocking her peers.

"What?!" exclaimed Yang.

"Ruby, that doesn't sound like a wise choice of actions," Pyrrha stated.

"I know, but… there's a chance that they won't let us do this," she explained. "They might not even let us leave alive."

"You told us that they're more like people than monsters," Ren reminded her.

"But what if I'm wrong?" said Ruby in contest. "What if they won't let us go because they hold a grudge against us for killing Grimm, or if they'll just wage war the moment they see us, or something?!"

"Why are you doubting yourself, all of a sudden?" asked Yang, concerned for her little sister.

"Because I'm worried about our chances," she explained.

"I don't want to risk all of our lives because they may not let us work on the Spires, and they might try to kill us. If it's just me and I don't come back, then maybe you all will have a chance to get more Dust for Vale some other way."

Everyone looked at her in worry. It'd be a time like this that everyone forgot that Ruby was the youngest of them. She'd be the most afraid of their missions and ordeals, but also be the most concerned over friends and loved ones. It was that youthfulness that made her think if she did this alone, then maybe everyone else would be able to live on.

"You guys don't have to come with me" Ruby told them. "I don't really know if they'll let us stay, so we shouldn't risk–!"

Before she could finish her sentence Weiss, to everyone's shock, flicked her friend hard on the forehead. Ruby yelped in surprise, then rubbed the spot where she was hit, while everyone looked at the heiress in confused surprise.

"OW!" she exclaimed in a short bout of pain. "Weiss, why?!" Weiss gave her a stern glare for a moment before she spoke.

"You think I'm letting you go alone like some lone wolf? Don't be so full of yourself," she said, earing wide eyes from Ruby.

"I'm going with you no matter _what_ you say," she told her, "and if things do go south, I'll be sure as hell to get you out of there."

"Weiss…" Ruby was astonished by the snowy girl's words. Hearing that from Weiss, of all people, gave her a rush of so many emotions, one among them was happiness.

Ruby welled up with bulbous tears in her glossy silver eyes, and then threw herself at the heiress. She hugged the older girl in a tight emotional hug, all while Weiss was more bewildered than she ever was in her entire life.

"YOU DO CARE~!" Ruby exclaimed joyfully. "YOU REALLY ARE MY BFF~!"

"D-DON'T CALL ME THAT! AND DON'T TOUCH ME!" demanded Weiss, but Ruby didn't listen in her happy, cartoonish crying.

The others had mixed reactions. Blake and Ren stared at the spectacle in perplexity equal to Weiss', while Jaune and Pyrrha chuckled at the heartwarming scene. Yang and Nora, however, roared with immense laughter at the comical aspect of this scene, especially when Weiss attempted to pry herself free from a blubbering Ruby. Once she did, their laughter died down and Ruby started to compose herself.

"Heh, you two are so meant for each other," claimed Yang, finishing with one last chortle. Then her expression turned a little soberer.

"Seriously though Rubes," she stated, "there's no chance in hell I'd let you do this by yourself. I'm coming with you, and I've always got your back."

Ruby looked at Yang with surprise while wiping her eyes of any remaining tears. She then smiled at her older sister, glad that she would join her on this grave mission.

"Thank you, Yang," Ruby told her, then turned to the others. "JNPR, you guys want in on this?"

"I don't see how we won't be coming with you," declared Jaune. "We're totally in on this."

"My thoughts exactly," said Pyrrha concurringly.

"We'll be there to assist you," proclaimed Ren.

"And if we have to, we'll be there to fight with you!" affirmed Nora.

"Thank you, guys," said Ruby gratefully. "Well then, I guess it's all of us, right?"

""Right!"" shouted everyone at once in agreement. … Everyone except Blake.

Blake had been silent for most of the discussion, after Ruby told her that she wasn't to blame for the apes' arrival. They may have thought that she was just taking it in, but she was really silent for the day. Everyone looked to her, hoping for some response from her. They saw that she had a serious expression, but she seemed worried as well/

"Blake…?" Ruby addressed her, concerned for her friend.

"I…" Blake stopped herself from talking rashly. She took a moment to compose herself and said, "I don't think I can come."

"What?" questioned Yang.

"Are you serious right now?" said Weiss in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, but I can't," the Faunus said, "I don't think it would be smart to bring me anyway. If they saw me, knowing what I did… I don't know what will happen."

"But Blake, it isn't–!" Ruby tried to tell her that it wouldn't be like that, but she didn't listen.

"It's fine," said Blake curtly. "There's still something important I have to do. Going to West Dragon would use too much of my time."

"What are you trying to achieve?" inquired Pyrrha.

"… I'm looking for information on the people who attacked Vale," Blake admitted. "At least, I'm certain I have the right people."

Team JNPR was a little surprised to hear that from her, but to them it was sound. It was a noble cause at least, knowing that there were people who put Vale in this situation. Although, they didn't know how far she would get with that.

Ruby was a little worried for Blake, as she didn't entirely believe that was the whole truth. However, she was willing to let Blake do what she needed to do, as long as she wouldn't get harmed. Weiss was more suspicious than her team leader, fully skeptical of what Blake was doing. She just couldn't put her finger on what was really going on.

Yang knew the whole truth, however. Blake was indeed for looking those who harmed Vale, but they're also the people from her past. She was indeed searching for information on them, but she was doing it at the cost of her health. Not just physical, tiring herself out and skipping on meals, but emotionally as well. Blake was distancing herself so that she'd try to achieve her goals. But if she would be caught, then no one would be dragged along with her because she would have no one with her. Yang knew that's how it was, and she couldn't accept it.

"Just go on without me," Blake told them. "You'll be fine, I'm sure. Good luck."

"… Okay," said Ruby. "You too."

Blake gazed at the others for a moment, then parted ways with them. They weren't sure where she was going exactly, direction she was taking could lead to any of the campus buildings.

"Man… what a bummer," said Jaune solemnly.

"I can't believe this," claimed Weiss, "she's shutting us out, again!"

"I know…" said Ruby, "but what can we do? I don't blame her, but I just wish she could come…"

Blake may have still felt guilty for shooting that ape, and she may have known that the apes didn't want revenge, but she was still hard on herself. Ruby saw that, but she just didn't know what to do about this.

"She'll come." Everyone looked at Yang, confused by her abrupt statement and her smirk.

"Huh?" muttered Ruby.

"How do you know?" asked Weiss.

"Don't worry. She will," was all the blonde brawler, who was oddly confident.

"You know, I'm kinda hungry," she announced, sounding cheerier than the others. "Let's go get some eats!"

"… Food sounds nice," said Jaune in agreement.

So with that Yang took off and the others followed her, heading for the food hall. Ruby and Weiss looked at each other while they moved along, both looking concerned. How was Blake going to come with them?

* * *

_A couple of days later._

* * *

Two days passed and, tomorrow morning, would be when RWBY & JNPR would head for West Dragon and meet with the Grimm Apes. That is, they would be going without Blake.

She hadn't been seen by them too much, nor did she see them, except in classes only. Blake didn't pay much attention whatsoever, trying to find a few moments to sleep when she could. Her team hadn't seen them much in their dorm either, especially during the night and morning. Blake was already gone before they could say something to her.

Since after they discussed the plan with Ozpin and for the last two days, Blake has been studying everything she could find on Torchwick and the White Fang, spending most if not all of her time in the library. There were ups and downs, as she couldn't find too much on them, but then there would be pieces of information she'd consider truly useful.

Blake did believe that everything would go fine at West Dragon without her. Maybe, just maybe, the apes didn't want to take revenge on her for that incident. It wasn't going to be anything like ripping the very skin off of her. But that didn't mean they would forgive her, and they would certainly voice their discontent if she returned there. She had to stay in Beacon, because the others would be denied the Spires if she was there.

She just had to stay away, and everything would be fine. In fact, she had to stay away from them while investigating the enemy, so that they wouldn't get dragged down with her. She came to terms with her belief that it was all her fault, the belief that everyone would be fine if she was gone. If she was gone everyone would be happy, that's all there was to it. They'll see that one day, when she is gone for good.

She could keep thinking about how the world would keep spinning without her, but she wanted to focus. Blake scrolled through the terminal screen as much as she could, until a red dot suddenly appeared on the screen. It was there for a moment, moved a little, then disappeared.

Blake looked around to find the source, wherever it was, but didn't see anything. She turned back to the terminal, but there it was again. She sighed in frustration at the irritating sight, now that it stayed there longer. Then, the dot moved away from the screen, onto the desk, and then to the floor. She saw it move up the floor, then moved behind a book shelf.

Curious, Blake stood up and looked over to where it gone. Once she was behind that shelf, she found herself surprised to see Yang Xiao Long standing there, with a big grin spread across her face.

"Hello~!" she greeted simply, explaining nothing to Blake.

"What are you–?!"

Yang suddenly grabbed her by the arm, her expression now more serious.

"We need to talk," was all she said before she whisked Blake away, taking her to only Yang and God knew where.

* * *

Eventually, Yang took Blake to an empty classroom, filled with empty seats, a plain teacher's table, and a large chalkboard with nothing but a few scribbles on it.

Blake knew somewhat what Yang was planning to do. She was again going to try and convince her that nothing was her fault, that she should "slow down" her investigation, and maybe even come with the teams to West Dragon. She just couldn't do that, and she wished Yang would understand for once.

"Well? What is this about?" Blake asked, trying to play dumb.

"I'm pretty sure you know," said Yang, seeing through that ploy.

"… Listen, Yang," the Faunus started, "if you're going to tell me to stop, then you should save your breath. I have to do this."

"Like I was trying to tell you the first time," she stated, referring to the moment just before the incident, "you shouldn't stop. You should slow down."

"I don't have that luxury," claimed Blake

"It's not a luxury, it's a necessity," refuted Yang.

"The _necessity_ is stopping Torchwick and saving Vale!" Blake decreed.

"And we're going to," agreed Yang, "but first, you have to sit down, and listen to what I have to say."

"… Fine." She gave in and payed attention to Yang, listening to a story she didn't expect to hear in the slightest from her.

As she explained it, Blake learned that Yang and Ruby were half-sisters. Their father, Taiyang Xiao Long, was a bold youth during his studies at Beacon. While there, he met the two women would be some of the most important people in his life: Raven Branwen and Summer Rose. He fell in love with Raven first, but she left him after Yang was born. Then Summer came in his time and they had Ruby, but Summer was killed in action during a mission. The thing was though, Yang didn't know Raven was her mother.

So she would search and search her home, the island of Patch, in hopes of finding her somewhere near. When she heard of a lead to where she could be, Yang took Ruby with her in a toy wagon, who was sleeping through all of it. They traveled through a dead forest, coming to a sick, rotting wooden house. Instead of a woman they never met waiting for them, there were a pack of vicious Beowolves, already hungry from just looking at them. Had it not been for the timely arrival of their uncle, Raven's brother Qrow, then they wouldn't be at school today.

Blake felt mortified to hear all of this. Finding out Yang was abandoned by her mother, tried to look for her, and almost died was tragically heartbreaking. It must have been traumatizing to have gone through all of this, not just nearly escaping death but losing two mothers. How could Yang keep going after all of that, she wondered

"We survived by a stroke of luck," Yang finished her story, "I almost got myself and my sister killed all because I was a dumb kid, looking for her missing mother."

"… Why did she leave you?" asked Blake curiously.

"Heh…" Yang laughed mirthlessly, "that's the big question. Why? I didn't know, but I was determined to get an answer. I would stop at nothing to find that… and look where it got me? Just an inch away from being a trio of Beowolves' lunch that day. My stubbornness should have gotten us killed."

"… Yang, I'm sorry this happened to you," she consoled her, "and I understand what you're trying to tell me. But this is different. I'm not a child, and this isn't just a search for answers. I can't just–!"

"I told you, I don't want you to stop," interrupted Yang.

"I can't follow your example, Yang–!" Blake tried to explain their differences.

"I haven't stopped, you know!" Yang exclaimed, not listening to her. "I still want to find my mother and I want know why she left! But that search, it will never control me. If we lose ourselves, or even destroy ourselves, then what good are we?"

"You don't understand! I–!" again she tried to speak.

"No, you don't understand!" Yang retorted. "You're not alone in this fight!"

"You're not the one who's the cause of their problems!"

Yang was finally speechless, taken aback by what her partner just said. Granted, she knew her friend was blaming herself for this ordeal, but it was looking her that made her shut her mouth. Blake was overwhelmed and starting to cry.

"Can't you _try_ to understand?" she practically begged, tearing up.

"Everything that's happened now is because of me! The White Fang is unhinged and working with Torchwick because I've left them! The Kingdoms have a new enemy because I brought them here! Our city is going to die because I've started all of this! If I don't stop this, I'll end up the reason why we all die!

"All of this… is because of me. If I go with you, the apes will _never_ let you all stay. They'd rather go to war then let me on their land, and they will! I can't hold you all back… I can't…!"

Her emotions took over, and she broke into sobs. Blake covered her face with her hands, her body shaking with how she wept. She heard nothing from Yang as she did this, almost making her cry even more. It was so humiliating, to bare herself out like this in front of someone.

But she hoped that Yang would finally understand. She prayed that everything she said finally made her realize that she was the cause, and being with her would only spell doom for her, their friends, and everyone else. She wanted this all to over and accepted, and she could finally calm down and stop sobbing.

"… We don't care."

Blake looked up at her in surprise, the tears still dropping. Looking at her, Yang still had a serious expression, but it seemed calmer and more empathetic.

"H-Huh?" she muttered questioningly.

"We don't care if you're why the White Fang are acting up," said Yang. "We don't care if the apes hate you for hurting one of them. We don't even care if you're what gets us killed. Your friends, your team, and I will stick by you till the end."

She couldn't believe this. She wasn't supposed to think like that! Blake didn't want her friend, perhaps her closest friend, to think so little of her own life like that.

"… If I go with you all," Blake said slowly, trying not to be erratic, "… we could get killed."

"Maybe…" Yang admitted, "but at least we'd fight together… and maybe die together too."

"Why?!" exclaimed Blake. "Why can't you let me stay away, so you can all live–?!"

Before she saw it coming, Yang took her into a tight embrace. Anything Blake was about to say, any protest for the sudden contact, was quelled down by her shock. Yang made the hug as close and intimate as possible, while a few tears formed in her own eyes.

"Don't ever say that," she calmly scolded, "I'd rather go to hell with you, and everyone else, than to paradise alone. We all feel that way about you, and each other. That's why we're worried about you. If you don't stop, you'll go down a path we can't follow. We don't want to lose you. I don't want to lose you."

Blake couldn't say anything, and the sobbing returned in full force. She returned the hug and cried into Yang's shoulder, while the blonde didn't let go in any way. Her own tears fell down from her eyes, though she was quiet and didn't wail. They kept that position for quite some time, until Blake cooled down and stopped sobbing. Yang pulled away slightly to look at her, while holding onto her arms

"You don't have to come with us," she assured her, slightly surprising the teary-eyed Faunus.

"But if you're going to keep searching for answers… then at least get some rest," Yang told her firmly. "Not just for you, but for the people you care about, and who care about you. Including me."

Blake didn't respond, only taking it in. Yang then quickly kissed her friend on her forehead. It did surprise her, but she felt it was a platonic kiss, quietly telling her that Yang was there for her no matter what. Yang let go of her, and headed for the room's exit, and Blake watched her go.

"If you do come and the apes don't like it…" Yang proclaimed, turning to her, "I won't let them lay a _finger_ on you."

With that, Yang turned around and left the room. Blake stared at the door her dear friend went through, while contemplating everything she heard and revaluating everything she was doing.

Yang was right. It took her so long to see it, but she now knew she was right. What good would it be if she was alone? What good would it do if she achieved everything, but had no one to come to? What was the benefit, the point, and the reason for being alone? She realized now that she can't give up on her friends. If she did, then everything would go downhill for her. She'd be alone, she'd have nothing, and gain only pain and sorrow.

Blake wiped away the tears from her eyes. She didn't have a lot of time, but she needed a moment before she made her decision.

* * *

_The next day, morning._

* * *

It was now three days since the destruction of Vale's Dust resources, and four days after the peaceful invasion of the Grimm Apes. Tensions were higher than ever in the city and kingdom but, thankfully, everyone had managed to control themselves. The citizens calmed down, and were assured by local authorities and the Atlas military that a surefire method that would resupply Dust to the city was in effect. Grimm activity was still being monitored, but it had apparently gone silent now.

The people would go through the day as serenely as they could, hoping that they could return to normal life as much as possible. For the public, today would hopefully be no more abnormal or significant than any other day. However, this was an important day for teams RWBY & JNPR. This was the day for their next mission to West Dragon.

As the morning came, Ruby began to wake up, stretching from her goodnight's sleep. When she looked around, she didn't see Blake on her bed.

So that meant she wouldn't be coming. Ruby was sad that she wasn't coming, but accepted it nevertheless. She had to get ready.

Ruby, Yang, and Weiss prepared themselves for the return trip. They donned their usual attire for missions, equipped their exalted weapons, and gathered whatever they needed for staying for more than one day, in case they would.

"… Everyone ready?" Ruby asked her teammates, not sounding very cheery today.

"Hardly…" said Weiss bluntly, "but I'm prepared as I can be."

"Same here," stated Yang.

Ruby nodded at them, and moved towards the door. She turned the doorknob and prepared to leave, but stopped in her tracks when she saw who was standing there.

"Blake?!" she exclaimed, catching the others attention. They all saw that Blake was indeed standing there, wearing her own apparel and her sword holstered on her back. She looked a little nervous.

"You're here…!" realized Weiss.

"… You have room for one more on this mission?" she asked. Her question made Ruby's heart shoot up in happiness.

"… We sure do!" she affirmed, and quickly hugged Blake in her excitement.

She was a little surprised, but soon returned the embrace. She was happy to be accepted to quickly, smiling for the first time in the last few days. Yang walked up to them, shared a glimpse of contentment with Blake, and joined in the hug herself. Weiss, while still perplexed by seeing Blake come after all, soon felt that she was left out. With the others waiting, Weiss walked up to her companions and entered into the group hug.

Directly across them, Jaune opened the door to his team's room, wanting to check up on the girls. To his surprise, he saw them all gathered together in that embrace. Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora saw the large hug from their room too, and they all smiled at the heartwarming scene.

Team RWBY was back together, and it seemed like this mission may be more pleasant than they thought it would be.

* * *

"So we all know what we're going to do?" Ruby asked to her team and JNPR, as they walked towards the Beacon Tower once more.

"Yes," Blake affirmed.

"Yup!" agreed Yang.

"You bet!" claimed Nora.

"Of course," stated Weiss.

"Absolutely," said Pyrrha.

"Indeed," spoke Ren.

"You can count on us!" declared Jaune.

"Great," said Ruby, then gone over the plan with them. "We'll go to the apes, explain our Kingdom's situation, and ask for their permission to work on their land."

"Right," confirmed Weiss.

"And if they don't agree?" quizzed Ruby.

"Then we leave," answered Yang, "and find another way to get Dust into the city."

"Good. And if they try to attack us?"

"… Then we defend ourselves," said Blake, "until we can get off the continent."

"Right," upheld the red caped girl, "everyone ready?"

""Ready!"" all of them announced in unison, then headed for their destination.

"… Why did the Headmaster wish to see us before we leave, again?" asked Ren curiously. It didn't seem necessary, since their transport was already ready for them, but Ozpin messaged them all for a last second meeting.

"Oh, I'm sure he just wants to say something inspiring and say goodbye," assumed Jaune.

"Yeah, and maybe he'll give us some info for the mission," added Ruby.

"Makes sense," said Ren, easily satisfied by their answer.

* * *

All eight of them were confused when they got to the Headmaster's office. Ozpin and Glynda were there as they'd normally be, waiting for them, but there was someone else with them in the room, and it wasn't the General of the Atlas military nor the President of the Schnee Dust Company.

A fellow student, Cardin Winchester was sitting atop of Ozpin's desk inappropriately. He was a tall young man, with burnt-orange hair and dark indigo eyes. He was in his own Huntsman attire, wearing a set of grey armor with gold trimming. On his chest plate was a bird with its wings outstretched engraved into the piece. Under the armor he wore a black shirt and black pants, the shirt with red trimming and a red belt over his pants. He had his weapon with him too, which was a massive mace.

Each of them had mixed reactions seeing him, as he was known for a streak of bullying across the school. Ruby and Weiss were confused, not thinking much or highly of him. Yang and Nora gazed at him unpleasantly, the two never taking a liking to bullies. Ren and Blake seemed neutral in their expressions, though the latter was more apprehensive. Jaune and Pyrrha were especially cautious of him, as they had a history with the abusive teen.

"… Um…?" muttered Ruby, expressing their awkwardness towards the bully.

"Students…" Professor Goodwitch started, "I'm sure you're all familiar with Mr. Winchester here."

"… Yeah," said Jaune, who sounded like he had a bitter taste in his mouth.

"… I believe so," stated Pyrrha, taking the same tone as Jaune did.

"Well hello to you two, too," Cardin greeted mockingly to them.

As they all knew, Cardin was biased towards Faunus and those weaker or smaller than him. He was especially aggressive towards Jaune, taking amusement in his torment of the young and foolish swordsman. He didn't want to discuss it much at the time, if not at all, though his team and friends clearly saw what would happen. Pyrrha wanted to boost his self-esteem by training him herself, but he rejected her the first time she offered.

The thing was though Jaune, as a new student, was more concerned with a secret of his: his faked transcripts. He was never a real warrior like his family was, and only got into Beacon on false information. He told only Pyrrha in an outburst, but Cardin had eavesdropped. So, taking advantage of him, Cardin blackmailed the poor man into doing favors for him. If he got out of align at any point, then Cardin would spill Jaune's sin to the staff.

That all stopped on a field trip to Forever Fall, a forest of trees with bright red leaves. Cardin wanted him to throw a jar of the native tree sap at Pyrrha, for meager revenge, but Jaune opposed him on that. Cardin and his team would have beaten him to a pulp, hadn't a large Ursa Grimm approached them. Jaune was the only one to bravely fight the bear while Cardin's team ran, resulting in the bully saved by the young knight.

So with that Cardin never bothered Jaune since then, feeling as if he owed it to the Arc boy. Even though he didn't change his ways and took his bullying elsewhere, Jaune and Pyrrha hadn't seen or heard much of him since. That is, until now, as he was in Ozpin's office with them.

"Did we interrupt something?" asked Weiss, wondering if they stepped in on Cardin being scolded by the two professors.

"No, not at all," said the Headmaster, to her surprise. "In fact, Mr. Winchester is part of the reason why I've called you all here, before your venture back to West Dragon."

"What do you mean?" questioned Ruby, wanting clarification.

"Teams RWBY and JNPR…" Glynda announced, "Cardin Winchester will be accompanying you on your mission."

…

"… This doesn't make sense." Ren's words summed up the two teams' feelings about the shocking revelation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note, 8/3/18:
> 
> I finished this surprisingly quick! I didn’t really think I’d go for a weekly schedule for the month, but it turns out I did. I’m also sort of learning to write less to get things out faster, but I’m still applying my style of writing.
> 
> Now this was a pretty emotionally charged chapter. I had a little fun writing Ruby hugging Weiss while teary eyed (it was funnier than I expected). Blake has pretty much realized that she can’t give up on her friends & family, and it isn’t right for her to abandon them. However, she’ll still have some apprehensiveness towards the apes because she shot one of them, and one ape in particular may not be too keen with seeing her again. I honestly hope I didn’t wrap up her arc too soon, as I can’t focus too much on her now with the story progressing.
> 
> However, on the scene with Yang and Blake in case anyone’s concerned, I’d like to make clear that romance isn’t really a focus in this story. To be honest, I very much enjoy the Yang x Blake ship myself; but I’m aware that many people don’t put them together, so I wanted to clarify to anyone misinterpreting the scene as romantic. The whole thing was meant to wrap up Blake’s arc before going to West Dragon by depicting how close she and Yang are as friends, showing that she can’t give up on friends no matter what her goals are. I love them as a romantic couple but I’m not pairing them in this story, or anyone with anyone else for that matter. If I was going to focus on a pairing in this fic, I would’ve made it clear from the beginning (well, I’m kind of hinting at Arkos in-story, but that’s a minor exception). Hope that clears up any worries out there.
> 
> Other than that, we got two characters featured: Jacques Schnee and Cardin Winchester! I think it’s sort of obvious why I featured Jacques. Vale’s Dust storages had been destroyed, and he’s the head of the company that sells all the Dusts. So of course Ozpin & co. would go to him for help. But why did I bring Cardin into the fray? AND make him go with our heroes to West Dragon?? I’m not telling why he’s shown up yet. However, for those who’ve seen the movie, here’s a hint: he’s gonna do what Carver did.
> 
> That’s all I got. I don’t really have much to say for this chapter. Chapters 8 through 9 will be published throughout the month, and the apes will return next chapter. After that I’m gonna publish a new story (not telling what yet). If you have the chance, please leave a comment and follow the story!
> 
> And the third poll is up on my profile now! This time, the theme is Godzilla stories! Please vote on it when you see it, I really want to see what anyone would like for to me write. Laters!


	8. Truce

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ownership:  
> RWBY is owned by creator Monty Oum, God rest his soul, and Rooster Teeth Productions.  
> Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is owned by 20th Century Fox, Chenrin Entertainment, and TSG Entertainment. 
> 
> I, the humble author of this fan-work, own absolutely nothing, gain no profit whatsoever, and wish only to express my writing and love for these fandoms artistically.
> 
> /–\–/–\–/–\–/–\–/–\–/–\–/–\
> 
> Apes are back. Also, who remembers Robin & Thomas? I remember Robin & Thomas.

Chapter 8: Truce

On a sunny day, there was a great forest. Its trees were tall, their bark a healthy brown and had sprouting branches with volumes of leaves growing. The ground was covered in dirt, twigs and leaves, with insects and other small animals crawling over the soil. The bright sun's light touched wherever it did, highlight the trees and their foliage.

This was not the forest the Grimm Apes inhabited. Yet, it was where Caesar found himself, standing in this unfamiliar place. He looked around, seeing none of his fellow apes around him, and a little unused to the sunny atmosphere.

He didn't know why he was here, nor had the slightest idea how he got here. However, for some reason, it all seemed familiar to him. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had been here before, but he couldn't determine why he felt like that.

"Caesar!"

He suddenly heard someone call for him. It was distant, but he heard it. Caesar turned to the direction the voice called from, not knowing who it was. As it echoed through the forest, Caesar eventually recognized it. It was the voice of a human, one who had a great impact on the ape king. It was **him**.

"Caesar!" **he** called again. With that, Caesar ran in the direction it came from.

He rushed through the forest, trampling though the bushes and running down several paths. He had to get to **him** , if he was really here. He even climbed the trees and swung through the branches to get there faster, but **he** seemed farther away than he thought.

As Caesar traveled further and faster, something was slowly happening to him, changing him – he was getting younger. The light gray hairs around his head and face were getting darker, and the black hair on his body was growing shorter and darker. His bony shoulder plates seemed to shrink as well, and the protruding thorns from his elbows shortened. He looked almost like he did when he was eight, but he didn't take the time to look at himself.

"Caesar!" **he** called once more, and Caesar pushed himself to go faster, wanting to see **him** more than ever.

However, as he kept going, another happening took place on him. Wrapped around his body so suddenly were clothes; he had on a dark red shirt and jeans, the latter covering his bony protrusions. Caesar had worn these clothes a long time ago, when he lived in **his** house. Again, he didn't stop to look at them.

Finally, he gotten to where he heard the voice calling for him, and was shocked to see where **he** was. He saw a large tree within the middle of the forest, thicker than all of the other trees around it, and its leaves the lushest of all. Standing at the base of this tree was a **human man** with dark brown hair, his back turned to Caesar. It was **him**.

The final change took place on Caesar's body, as he shifted into a shorter form – he was now at an age equivalent to a human or Faunus toddler. His bony protrusions were nearly nonexistent, his white skin markings barely visible, and much less hair was covering his now infantile body. On his right shoulder was his birthmark, a dark grey spot visible on his black Grimm skin.

"Caesar…" **he** called to him again, this time more softly as **he** knew he was behind him. Caesar, with amazement in his young eyes, walked over to **him** , hoping that it really was who he thought.

The **man** slowly turned around to face him, but Caesar was suddenly terrified. **His** face wasn't there, instead a blank surface of skin replacing his eyes, nose and mouth.

 **"Help them,"** he said in a distorted, haunting voice.

* * *

Caesar woke up, huffing in and out from the shocking dream. He looked around, and saw that he was back in his home, back in the ape village. He was back to his present self, his hair numerous and back to a black to dark grey color, with the white strands around his face. His bony plates and thorns back to their original size, and the white pigmentation on his face and chest more present.

Caesar looked to his side, and saw his wife Cornelia sleeping soundly, while she cradled their second son in her arms. Blue Eyes wasn't with them, meaning he may have already been awake and off doing his own things. He quietly stood up to not disturb his family, walked out of his house. He stood on the porch, and saw the village his house looked over. He saw the surrounding forest, the current forest he lived in, and looked up at the familiar cloudy sky of a light to medium gray.

He was relieved that he was back in his home, but he was troubled by the dream he had. He just couldn't believe it, he saw **him**. He hadn't seen **him** for years, and least expected to see him in a dream. He didn't know why this suddenly came to him, and he didn't really have any lead or reason to find out why. However, what **he** said to him at the end of the dream was the most striking detail.

 **He** said 'help them'… but Caesar didn't understand who **he** was referring to.

* * *

_Yesterday, afternoon._

* * *

When a headmaster meets their school's students for the first time, they would see that there several kinds of them. Each student would be different in their personality, their ability, and their affinity with education. But despite such a diverse crowd, the headmaster should know that there are two very general brands of student. First was the good students; they go without saying that they are kind, tolerant, very talented, and have average to excellent grades. They were the kind of students a headmaster wouldn't worry for often.

The second was the bad students or, as most would typically call them, bullies. They were the delinquents who didn't care for their grades, often thinking too highly of themselves, and would stray from any participation in their education. These were the students that any teacher, principal, or other school staff should be wary of the most. It wasn't their misuse of their potential or their shirking of responsibility that was concerning, but their behavior towards other students.

Ozpin knew well to look out for those kinds of pupils in his academy, and he knew of four examples: team CRDL. Cardin Winchester's team were notorious tormenters at Beacon, and were perhaps the top bullies of the school. They'd intimidate anyone they thought weaker than them, but there was a particular group of students they abused the most: the Faunus. Poor Oz already lost count of how many cases he heard where CRDL got away with such bigotry.

That is, until today. He was heading towards the infirmary, where he heard CRDL was currently located. Once he got there, he peered through the open doorway. He already saw Glynda speaking harshly with the team leader, Cardin, while his teammates were laid out on hospital beds.

As he had understood it, the group had gone on about their views towards Faunus, abusing another student of that species, until they were confronted by another team. They were upperclassmen, dubbed Team CFVY, and one of their members happened to be a Rabbit Faunus whom CRDL often abused.

So with that a fight ensued, and CRDL was badly beaten. Only Cardin managed to survive, as he ran before they could catch him until he was discovered by the staff. Another thing about bullies, something others often didn't know, was that they're opportunistic cowards, willing to do anything to survive.

But still, he was caught, and he would face the consequences of his team's behavior. Although CFVY would be dealt with later for the inappropriate battle, CRDL was given their punishment first, which was long overdue.

"… And furthermore," Ozpin heard Glynda speaking, as he secretly eavesdropped, "none of that behavior is to be expressed on this campus ever again. Am I clear?"

The Headmaster head Cardin say nothing in response.

"I said, am I _clear_?" repeated Glynda, firmer in tone.

"Yeah, yeah," said Cardin exasperatedly, "no more bullying, I'll turn a new leaf, whatever. It won't happen again, Professor." Ozpin didn't believe him from the tone he took.

"… I sincerely hope not," stated Glynda. "For your sake."

With that she moved to leave the academy's infirmary. She saw Ozpin as she walked, both nodded to each other, and she was gone. Ozpin watched her leave for a moment, then turned to the medical room. Cardin was surprised to see the Headmaster so suddenly.

"… Allow me to assume your situation, Mr. Winchester," proclaimed Ozpin, not giving the bully a chance to explain himself. "You and your team instigated a fight with your fellow students. Have I assumed correctly?"

"… Yup." Cardin couldn't deny his situation to the wise man.

"Hmm. Was it with the upper classmen?" the Headmaster asked. He already knew who it was, but he wanted to hear Cardin say it.

"Team CFVY. Again," he admitted sourly.

"I thought so," affirmed Ozpin. "Was it because of the fact that one of CFVY's members was a Faunus?" At that Cardin didn't respond. There was no reason to say if it was already known.

"… Mr. Winchester," Ozpin addressed him, "I understand where your pain comes from. But it is no excuse to exert that pain through hatred to take out on others. You or your team will not go anywhere in life if you keep this up." Cardin again said nothing.

Another fact about bullies, a fact that others barely knew, was that they had issues. They were burdened with serious and traumatizing dilemmas, and they would employ their pain onto those who least deserved it. Their motivation, their reason, to bully students was because they needed something to take everything out on. It was the least healthy thing anyone on Remnant could do to cope with anything.

Ozpin knew that Cardin had suffered from that. He knew what made Cardin into a bully, why hates a race that doesn't deserve it. But there was a silver lining when it came to these problems: there was a chance for redemption. It would be very slight, but Ozpin would believe in changing his students to be better than they are, and would go to any length he could to achieve that.

Coincidentally, there was something going on that could help with this situation. If he could convince Cardin to participate in a certain mission, then maybe he could learn the error of his ways.

"Tell me, Cardin," he asked him, getting his attention. "Do you wish to change your ways?"

"… Sure, I guess," he said in an unenergetic tone. "Why not?"

"Good," Ozpin responded. "Besides, you're not going to stay in this school with nothing on hand while your team's out of commission. And this task may or may not serve as a punishment for your indecent behavior."

There might have been no enthusiasm from him whatsoever, but he was satisfied with the bully willingly showing compliance. Ozpin sighed internally in gratefulness, and suggested his offer to Cardin.

"Now, you're aware of the recent events that have transpired in Vale, are you not?"

* * *

_Present day._

* * *

"And that, teams, is why Mr. Winchester will be joining you on your mission to West Dragon," Ozpin declared, concluding his recollection of yesterday's incident. "Any questions?"

Teams RWBY and JNPR were preparing for their return to West Dragon, hoping to negotiate with the Grimm Apes over the Dust Spires. However, all eight of them were shocked to hear the Headmaster include Winchester in the mission, all for changing his attitude and improve his presence as a student at Beacon. Because of their questioning of his logic, Ozpin had told them of what happened that day to, hopefully, help them understand his reasons

"… Is he okay with constructive criticism?" asked Jaune, surprisingly, "I don't want to sound rude."

"Go ahead, Mr. Arc," Ozpin allowed him to speak.

"Ok. … This is a bad idea," the Arc boy deadpanned.

"What was that?" questioned Cardin, almost threateningly. Jaune squeaked in slight fear.

"What Jaune means to say is… exactly that. Bringing you to West Dragon is a bad idea," said Pyrrha, backing up her team leader.

"You are very much known for your bullying of other students," stated Ren.

"And you hate Faunus!" Nora heatedly exclaimed.

"Well, why don't you–!" Ozpin stopped Cardin from making any aggressive response he had in mind.

"I know that you're all telling the truth," assured Ozpin, "based on Mr. Winchester's record and all of your personal experiences with him." At that, Cardin scoffed.

"But as it turns out," the Headmaster continued, "I intend for this mission to change his views on certain things. Surely all eight of you, and perhaps the apes too, will be able to let Cardin see the error of his ways."

In all honesty it did sound logical to the two teams, changing a student for the better of the school. However, there was the chance that Cardin wouldn't want to change, whatever his reasons may be to bully others.

"Also, his team is out of commission," Ozpin openly admitted. "I can't have him stay here while doing nothing."

"I am standing right here," said an irritated Cardin.

"What, there's no classes for him?" asked Yang. "No extra assignments? Maybe he could help the janitor, if he has nothing else to do. Give him some experience into his future, you know?"

Her peers looked at her in worry at the witty insult she mentioned so offhandedly, while the two professors were in disapproval of it. Cardin especially caught her passive aggressiveness, gritting his teeth at the perceived indignance.

"Why, you little blonde bim–!" Yang interrupted before he could finish saying 'bimbo.'

"You know what, Cardin? Finish that sentence," she demanded, showing him her own unique fury. "Come on, I dare you."

"Yang!" Ruby prevented her older sister from adding onto the fire. Yang still glared at Cardin though, sending a slight chill up his spine. The blonde brawler was known for speaking through her fists, so he reluctantly backed down.

Ozpin and Glynda were relieved the situation didn't escalate any further than that, but they were dissatisfied that it easily could have. The room was silent, but the atmosphere was tenser than ever, the quietness only adding on to the rigidity. Seeing all of this, the only regret Ozpin had was that he wished he didn't know this would have happened. Having more optimism would have been better than foreseeing such serious disagreement.

"… I will be perfectly honest," Professor Goodwitch broke the silence, "I'm not sure myself if this is a wise choice of action." Ozpin didn't question her opinion. He knew that his actions wouldn't always be universally accepted.

"However," she continued, "Headmaster Ozpin and I have both come to agree that improving Cardin's behavior and opinions is worthy of making this decision. Now, as much as we'd like to discuss this more, time isn't particularly on our side. You all have a negotiation to operate, don't you?"

"… We do, professor," confirmed Ruby.

"Exactly," she agreed, "then you're all dismissed. Cardin, you may go with them."

"Sure," said Cardin dismissively, walking towards the other students.

At this point, the others had to accept their situation given to them by their teachers. Whatever protest they still had was quelled, as they would not be heard. So it would be teams RWBY and JNPR's second trip to West Dragon, but also Cardin's first time to the wild continent. All nine students headed for the elevator, exiting the Headmaster's office. On the way down not a single word was uttered, the silence clearly showing how everyone felt so uncomfortable now.

* * *

They were all now heading for their transport at the academy's docks. Once everything had become a little more relaxed between the two teams and their new addition, they were somewhat able to hold a conversation.

"So, you understand what we're doing, right?" Ruby asked Cardin, wanting to make certain that he was informed on everything.

"Yes," the bully claimed.

"Alright, so repeat what the professors told you," Jaune requested.

"Fine," he relented, telling them what he thought the plan was. "We're gonna go to West Dragon, talk to the Grimm monkeys, distract them while we're stealing the Dust, kill all of the monkeys, then get the hell out of the continent."

"CARDIN!" shouted Ruby. His heartless mockery of their mission almost earned a glare from everyone.

"What? Oh, do we kill them _before_ we take the Dust?" He asked, still making fun of them.

"Cardin, this is serious!" Jaune scolded.

"Oh, relax Jauney Boy, I'm just kidding!" he claimed, though Jaune grumbled at the unsavory nickname. "I won't harm any of the stupid monkeys."

"They're a species of incredibly intelligent Grimm, Cardin," said Weiss accurately, "not a single one of them is 'stupid'."

"And they're apes, not monkeys," informed Ren.

"What's the difference?" Cardin asked with seeming interest, surprising Ren.

"Well, since you asked," he began, "the lack of tails is a prominent difference–!"

"Oops, I already don't care," Cardin mercilessly deadpanned him.

At that Ren sighed in defeat, still having no success in convincing others about the difference between monkeys and apes. Nora sympathetically patted him on the back, quietly comforting him. It didn't help much, since she was also unaware of the difference.

"Just to be serious myself," said Cardin, "do we really need their dumb permission to take the Dust? We can totally take it, I don't think they need any of it."

"It's on their land," answered Blake, "so it could be considered their property. We can't just take a part of their land."

"And haven't you been listening?" Weiss inquired of him, "they warned us not to return to their home, so they'd be on legitimate ground to attack us for coming back into their territory."

"… I may have actually been asleep during that part," he admitted, receiving a glower from Weiss for his indignance.

"Still, I don't think they'll give a crap if we take it," reasoned Cardin.

"It'll be more than difficult to simply 'take' the Dust Spires, mind you," informed Pyrrha.

"Yeah, well – wait, Dust Spires–?!" before Cardin could fully grasp what Pyrrha just told him, a new voice had resonated.

"Well, well, well! Look who it is!"

Once everyone had gotten to the Beacon Docks, they saw their transport for the mission: a long bullhead that was sleeker than the typical model. Teams RWBY and JNPR thought they saw it before, as that was the same bullhead that first brought them to West Dragon. The pilots they had at the time didn't really leave an impact on them, so they were rather surprised to see two people they didn't remember apparently recognizing them.

"If it isn't the boys and girls we first had on this ride!" said the pilot who addressed them, standing atop the bullhead's ramp, "I'm sure y'all remember our faces, too!"

"Sup," said the other pilot, standing on the ground next to the vehicle.

"… Um–!" Ruby tried to respond but she was cut off.

"I'm kinda glad we have you guys back though," claimed the first pilot. "'cus now I can give y'all a talking-to on the new set of rules, when riding this big beauty.

"Ready? Here they are: Rule number 1, don't you _ever_ hit or threaten the pilot, which is me – I'm lookin' at you, blondie. Rule number 2–!"

"Wait a second!" Yang interjected, confusing the first pilot.

"Huh?"

"… Who are you guys?" she asked innocently.

…

"I told you they wouldn't remember us," said the second pilot to his peer.

"… Shit," cursed the other.

"Heheh. Sorry about him," laughed the second, "he thinks all of his stunts will work. Anyway, we're the pilots who took you to West Dragon the first time. … Well, almost all of you. I don't remember big, buff, and armored down there."

Cardin raised his brow at that, known that he was the one whom the pilot referred to.

"Oh… now I remember you guys! … I think," Ruby tried to remember them, but she just couldn't put her finger on it. They just weren't that significant to her, even though it felt a little rude to not acknowledge them.

"Don't sweat it," said the kinder pilot, "I'm not an attention seeker like Tommy here."

"Screw you," said the other pilot, who was now 'Tommy."

"Y'all can call me Rob," he introduced himself, ignoring his co-pilot. "Now come on everybody, get in. We got a trip back to hell, and I don't want it to be one-way."

At that, everyone agreed, so they headed up the ramp and entered the bullhead. By the time Yang and Ruby got in last, 'Tommy' addressed the former harshly.

"Don't think I wasn't serious about that rule!" he proclaimed, "you're not humiliating me like before, got it?!"

"Uh…" Yang took a moment, not looking like she knew how to respond. "Look man, I'm sorry, okay? Let's put it behind us."

"… Well, alright then," Thomas took the apology with satisfaction, and allowed the two sisters to enter. With them not looking, he silently cheered to himself.

 _"Hah, I showed her!"_ he thought proudly. While he wasn't looking, Yang asked her little sister an important question.

"What did I do again?" she asked.

"I don't know?" answered Ruby, also questioningly. Thomas didn't hear them, but Robin did, snickering to himself at his copilot's misfortune.*

* * *

The time it took was two hours, more or less. It was almost like that day, except there was no cheery talk or hopes for making new discoveries. Everyone onboard was silent, waiting for the moment the land. Aside from Cardin, the students mulled over their worries. They didn't know if the apes were going to allow them to excavate the Spires, and were very concerned with whether they would say no.

But they were already this far. Vale was running on the last legs of what little Dust it had left, so they had to do this to save their city. Eventually they had finally gotten there, feeling the bullhead land on ground, the doors opening and the ramp unfurling. Though the two teams remembered the sandy beach and the very tall trees, Cardin was earnestly intrigued to see such an environment for the first time.

"Well… we're here again," announced Ruby, stepping onto the sand once more.

"Yup," agreed Yang, with no mirth or solemnness in her voice.

"Alright," Robin cut in, calling from the cockpit. "We've been told that all of you are either staying here indefinitely or leaving today, so tell us if we can leave the continent with or without you."

"Got it," affirmed Ruby.

"Man, coming back to this hellhole must be a pain," said Thomas offhandedly. "Why do you have another mission here, anyway?"

At that, the students looked at each other puzzled, while the pilots looked at them quizzically. Did they not know? A kingdom was peacefully invaded by Grimm, and later lost its Dust reserves in a terrorist attack. Surely the whole world had heard about these incidents, but apparently they were the only two on Remnant who didn't.

"You… don't know what's happened?" asked Pyrrha.

"What?" questioned Thomas.

"Haven't you two watched the news recently?" queried Weiss.

"No," said Robin, "we're poor and we're roommates, so we can't even afford a scroll."

"How can you not afford scrolls? That's pretty pathetic," said Cardin critically.

"You'd be surprised how little piloting pays," claimed Robin. "What happened in the news, anyway?"

Again the students huddled together, deciding what to do in this situation. It didn't seem like it would affect those two in the long run to not know about this, so they agreed not to reveal the past events to them.

"… Nothing to get worried over," Ruby told them. Robin and Thomas looked at each other in confusion, but didn't push the matter and further.

"Whatever. Just don't forget about us," Thomas told them.

"We won't!" Jaune assured them. At that the nine students walked towards the forest, disappearing behind the great trees from the pilots' sight.

"… They're gonna forget about us, aren't they?" said Thomas.

"I'd say chances of that are fifty-fifty," joked Robin, irritating his copilot.

* * *

As the nine students, wandered through the forest, they got an understanding of how vast it was. Thick trees with cracked bark and mossy coverings as far as the eye could see, small but lush foliage crunched below their feet, and a misty fog sifting around them. It was similar to the trope of eerie forests in horror movies of varying quality, only that it was real.

To Cardin, the constant sight of trees no longer inspired him, bored at the sight of the same thing. For teams RWBY & JNPR, however, they wanted to be out of this place as soon as they could. They remembered everything that happened on the third day of their first mission here; the forest evoked vividly what they were doing before they discovered the Grimm Apes, and the impact their presence had on them. It was painful for them to recall that event.

Eventually, they came to a certain area in the forest. They were on a slightly steep path, and next to them the ground rose up like a hill, covered in more foliage and tree stumps. It was the place where it all took place, where Blake had shot one ape, and where a whole army of them came to them in response.

"This is where it happened," she announced to them.

"Yeah…" Blake reminisced in her guilt, and prayed that their efforts now wouldn't fall apart. Yang worried for her partner, so she calmed her down and assured Blake that everything would be fine.

"How do you know this is the place?" asked Cardin skeptically. "We're in the middle of nowhere in this forest."

"Trust us, we know," Jaune told him, "everything about what happened that day isn't easy to forget."

"Hmph," Cardin grunted, then inquired of the two teams, "So how are we doing this? Getting their attention, I mean."

"As I recall, they came down from the hillside here," said Weiss.

"So, maybe if we do something loud enough, they'll come down here?" Yang suggested.

"… Maybe it'll be easier if we come to them," claimed Ruby, to the others' surprise.

"Ok, so we just climb up here and we'll find where they live?" assumed Nora.

"No," said Ruby, turning to everyone with a serious expression. "Just one of us should go."

" _One_ of us?" repeated Weiss, not liking the idea one bit.

"Ruby, we're doing this together," Yang stubbornly told her sister and leader. She wasn't going to let anyone get hurt by the apes, especially Ruby.

"Listen to me," she proclaimed, "I think that if we all go together, our chances will be bad. We're enough to be considered a threat. If it's just one, maybe they'll be more compliant to negotiate."

"… That does sound believable," admitted Ren, as no one else had a refute to the argument team RWBY's leader made.

"Honestly, I'm good with just one of us going up there," said Cardin, seemingly compliant. "… But it's totally not gonna be me."

The others looked at him uneasily for his obvious selfishness, but they couldn't be bothered by that right now. Either way, Ruby's plan had credit to it, so it was the best action they had right now.

"I'll go," she said selflessly, "I think their leader remembers me the most."

"Ruby, I don't like this," stated Yang.

"I feel the same as her," said Weiss, making a rare agreement with the brawler.

"I'll be fine, I promise," claimed Ruby, "but… if something happens–!"

"We won't leave you behind, Ruby," Blake declared, of all people, surprising Ruby. "Even if you want us to run."

"Alright…" Ruby couldn't say otherwise, as her friends were so set on doing this together and coming out alive. "But if worse comes to worst, then we have to do what we can to survive. Ok?"

"I suppose we'll just have to see," claimed Weiss.

"I guess so," said Ruby.

"Be safe, Rubes," Yang told her, clutching onto her shoulders firmly. "And come back as soon as you can."

"I will," she said confidently. At that Yang let go of her, and Ruby prepared to climb up the steep and grassy hill.

"Good luck!" Jaune called out to her. Once Ruby got to the top of the hill, she turned to wave goodbye to them and headed deeper into the forest, disappearing from their sight.

Ruby wandered through the forest, unsure of how long it's been since she left the group. As she walked she could see nothing but more trees. She wasn't even sure how the apes had come down to them that day in the first place. As any hope of finding a way to the apes seemed lost to her, Ruby suddenly discovered something: a path.

A dirt path of soil and other things, Ruby observed it wasn't just a natural path, but almost manmade. She saw it twist and turn through the trees, going to a destination she didn't know of. Despite the mystery, it was now her only lead. Gaining a little hope, she followed down the path to wherever it would take her.

More time passed, and the sky was dark, appearing to be on the brim of raining. However, as she traveled farther and farther, she noticed that there were less trees in abundance. She was surprised, as she thought this sea of giant trees would never end. Soon there were fewer and fewer, any tree she did see was shorter than the last. There were also less plants covering the ground, instead just more dirt, broken twigs or branches, and dried shrubbery.

Once it was clear of any trees or plants, Ruby was standing in a more open field, the cloudy grey sky in broader view. To her surprise, she found herself standing before what looked like a gate structure. It was comprised of several thin tree trunks and branches, all chaotically built together. The trees that stuck out from it looked like huge, unrefined lances that could impale intruders. It was a rather primitive structure, and a dangerous one at that.

As Ruby got closer to it, she saw on two logs forming the walls of the entry have a symbol etched into them. The patter was a circle, with a curved diamond shape within it. It must have been there emblem she thought. She finally found where the Grimm Apes. Feeling nervous in entering this strange territory, she took a single gulp and slowly entered through the gate. She saw that it was just as chaotic as the outside, with jagged sticks sticking out from everywhere. For some reason she saw objects made of plastic, confusing her as to how such things got here.

As she kept walking though, she didn't notice the dark shape sitting just behind the gate. The shape moved, a living creature that stood up and emitted a beastly snort. Ruby nearly jumped in surprise at the sound. She slowly but anxiously turned behind her, and saw a great ape standing over her. It was a Beringel, the Grimm equivalent of gorillas but, like the Grimm Apes, it had its differences, specifically the white skull pattern in place of a bony mask on its face.

The Grimm Gorilla gave Ruby a stern glare, even though she couldn't really discern any actual emotion it was expressing. She hoped that it was friendly, especially if it spoke like the leading ape did.

"Uh… Hi there!" she greeted it, trying to sound as a friendly as possible. The large ape didn't respond, making her nervous. If it was going to make her turn back, though, she couldn't let that happen. She came this far, she had to negotiate with them, even if she was fearful of these apes. There was just too much on the line.

"C-Could you, maybe… take me to your leader?" she asked meekly. For a moment, the ape gave her a quizzical look.

But that went away as soon as the gorilla bellowed. Three thunderous roars sounded throughout the area, and Ruby winced at how loud it was, covering her ears in pain. Suddenly, she heard several, familiar pant-hoots all around her.

She looked up, left, and right, surrounded by incoming apes. Several of them coming from the gate, others climbing on top of the structure. Several of them were gorillas like the first one, cornering her. At this point, Ruby was close to fearing for her life.

"… Please be gentle," she weakly pleaded and held her arms up in surrender, as she saw each apes glare at her. With no response or warning, the Grimm Gorillas came down on her.

"EEP!" she yelped.

* * *

 _You saw him?_ Signed a surprised Cornelia to Caesar.

Currently they were having their lunch in their home, a small meal of fruits and vegetation. Their baby son wasn't able to eat solid foods yet, but he looked at the food with interest and slight hunger. He'd certainly try them once he was older. Right now, Caesar was telling her about his strange dream this morning.

In the years they had been married, he had told Cornelia everything about himself – his origin, his family, and his upbringing until the two of them met. He'd especially tell her of **him** , the man who raised Caesar. It surprised her at first, to hear her husband speaking of a human so fondly, but the more she lived with him, the more she loved him, the more she wanted to know this man Caesar knew.

However, Caesar hadn't spoken much of **him** in the last few years. He had been very busy leading the colony and raising their first son, so he was just too focused on other matters to discuss his past. To hear about **him** now all of sudden, even if it was only from a dream, was intriguing to her, but also concerning.

 _Yes._ Caesar confirmed. _His face wasn't there. I don't know why._

 _Did he tell you something?_ She asked. Caesar took a moment to think, before he looked at her again and spoke.

"… Help them," he quoted.

 _Help who?_ She asked. It must've been important if Caesar spoke those **his** words.

 _I don't know_ , he answered truthfully. Cornelia wanted to inquire more, but it didn't seem like Caesar had any more to say about it. Instead, she continued feasting.

Suddenly, they heard someone climb up the stairs to their house. They turned to see an ape guard coming to them, his expression surprised and exhausted.

 _Caesar! Have big problem!_ The guard signed anxiously, making the ape king concerned.

 _What's wrong?_ He asked.

 _The Humans are back!_ At that, Caesar and Cornelia were shocked. The baby didn't understand the situation, not old enough to learn sign yet, so he squealed in confusion.

* * *

The apes carried Ruby through the gate, taking her to their home. As they moved she saw several apes above her, standing on top of logs and looking down on her through the spaces. Eventually, they exited the gate and the gorillas threw Ruby to the ground.

"Ow!" she barked in pain.

She was about to protest at their rude physical handling, until she saw where she was. She slowly stood up, taking in the entire village. She could see several small houses, huts made of wood mud and grass. She also saw a large tree growing atop a stone plateau. She could even see makeshift lanterns throughout the wooden parish. But what really took her breath away were the apes surrounding her. So many of them filled her vision, and all of them stared at her in wonder. She could see the surprise on their simian faces, to see a human like herself to be standing in their home.

To her own surprise, she saw two apes she recognized. The first was the ape with the blue eyes, a young ape with two large scars on its chest. She remembered that ape gave her back Crescent Rose the day they invaded Vale and Beacon. He looked disgusted when she was extremely happy to get it back. It was possibly because the apes didn't like weapons over all, or because she almost looked like she would attack them with it at the time. Ruby didn't really know.

The second ape she remembered too, and she was scared to see him again. It had a disfiguring scar over its left eye, leaving it completely white, while its right was blue. She remembered how that ape snarled at her after the leader ape's speech, and she had no understanding why it would do that. Both apes stared at her with shock like the others, making her feel slightly uncomfortable with so many eyes focused on her.

The gorillas from the gate pushed her along through the village, the other apes moving back to put space between her and them. When she looked up to the stone platform, she saw another ape come forward. It stood above all the other apes, staring at the human intruder. It was the leader, a creature whom Ruby would perhaps never forget.

Ruby saw how he gazed at her, with that trademark stern expression the ape had. There was almost no sound as the apes stopped her from moving, the apes leaving a great around her. With the silence unsettling her, she was the first to say something.

"Um… hi again? Eh-heh," she greeted the leader, who did not respond.

Suddenly, the leading gorilla forcefully pushed her to the muddy ground, making her kneel on her own arms. It was as if she was stepping out of line, and the ape reminded her that she was in the presence of something greater than her.

"Oof!" she grunted loudly. Before the gorilla could harm her any further, she pleaded for mercy.

"No, wait!" she said. "Please! Please don't kill me! I need to say something!"

She looked up to the leader and saw that his expression hadn't changed whatsoever. It certainly seemed disappointed in her, since she did not head his warning. She had returned to the apes' home against their wishes, realizing how serious they were taking this situation.

"I-I know…" she acknowledged. "'Don't come back.' That's what you told me. But I wouldn't be here unless–!" Ruby tried to stand up, but the gorilla again pushed her down to the earth.

"Aghk!" she cried. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I came here… but I need to show you something. Something important. It's not far from here… I think."

Some of the apes were a little surprised to hear her say that, if the few pant-hoots she heard meant anything.

"Human! Lies!" called the scarred ape, his voice like a harsh rasp, and the others hooted in unison.

"No!" she shouted. "I'm not lying, I swear! I have to show you this, then you'll understand! You're the only ones who can help us!"

The apes howled louder, sounding displeased with her words. The scarred ape took a spear from its peer, then aimed it Ruby. She looked to the ape in terror, while that ape looked to the leader for permission. She looked to the leader with a pleading expression, silently begging him to believe her. No emotion other than strictness showed on the leader's face, worrying Ruby as to whether he would call for her death. Was this where she was going to die?

Suddenly, the leader held up his right hand, the palm facing the crowd. At that the apes' vocalizations died down, to Ruby's surprise. When she looked at them, she saw confusion on the apes' faces, puzzled as to why the leader signaled them to stop. She turned back to him, waiting for what would happen next.

"… Show me," he proclaimed. With that, Ruby felt a little more hopeful.

* * *

Caesar wasn't honestly sure what to think of this at first. To hear the humans had returned, that was certainly distressing to say the least. For it to be that girl however, that same young huntress cloaked in red, to be the one to enter the colony without invitation, that was a lot to take in. She was the same girl who first communicated with them, the girl whose weapon she left behind here, which the apes graciously returned, and now she's the girl who claimed she needed their help. She was quite intriguing, Caesar admitted, but she was too childish.

He did, however, allow her to show him whatever he wanted. If it was so important that she returned to their home, then it must have been something extraordinary. If this something was dull, and she turned out to be wasting his time, then she would be dealt with afterward. Caesar gathered party of a few apes, including Maurice, Rocket, and Koba, and they followed her to wherever she wanted to take them.

The wandered through the forest for a bit, and the girl seemed to be a little lost, despite her insistence that she wasn't. She even gone to climb a few trees to get a better look, seemingly having no luck in leading them. Some of the apes in his party were irritated, especially Koba, with their aloof guide testing their patience, but Caesar calmed them down. Finally, she seemed to grasp a clear idea of where they were going, and excitedly led them further into the woods. Eventually, they got to an open field, and each ape saw something incredible.

Sprouting from the earthy ground were crystals, massive shards that reached to the heavens. They were mostly white in color, but some of their surfaces seem to have tints of magentas, blues, yellows, all sorts of glassy colors. It was all awe inspiring, something Caesar had never seen before in his lifetime.

None of the apes had traveled this far, so none of them knew about these crystalline towers… all except that girl in red. Perhaps these massive crystals were why the humans came here, on that fateful day?

"This is what we call 'Dust,'" the human girl explained to them. "We use it for a lot of things: powering our cities, fuel for our cars and stuff, and energy for other things. We also use it for combat, it's really useful for that! These are Dust Spires, they're the largest forms of Dust on Remnant."

"We've lost all of our Dust reserves the other day so now we're running on the remaining Dust that survived, but soon we'll have to run on reserved electrical energy and it's limited. If we can get a bunch of miners here, we might collect enough Dust to power up our city again!"

She spoke in exuberant tone, sounding like she was passionate about these things. However, despite his amazement, Caesar kept a stone-cold expression, as did the other apes. The girl looked at them puzzled, hearing not even a peep of response from them.

"I-I'm sorry… is any of this making sense to you?" she asked him directly. At that, Caesar glanced at the giant crystals, the ones she called 'Dust Spires.' If she claimed that these things were their fuel, then perhaps they used them for a certain source of energy.

"… The… lights," he answered. At that, the girl beamed at his understanding.

"Yes… the lights," she affirmed favorably.

"… Power," he said, giving her a more general example they might have used Dust for.

"Yeah!" she again confirmed. Caesar wondered if there was anything else they could have used these crystals for… and the answer was her weapon, the red box hanging behind her waist. Caesar recognized her tool, and what deadly forms he could take.

"… Guns," he almost sneered at the word, disgusted by uttering the name of which he hated. The girl was surprised to hear him say that, realizing that she brought her own weapon to their home. After a moment, she took on a regretful expression.

"… Y-yeah. Guns… weapons," she said sadly. "Look, I know you don't like them. This is your home, and I came here with a weapon. Definitely not a good sign." Caesar didn't need to say she was right.

"I'm not here to take your home away from you," she proclaimed, "I promise. But me and my friends are gonna lose our home if we don't do something. If you can allow us to work here–!"

"You… brought… others?" Koba accused her, catching Caesar off with him speaking so suddenly.

The other apes hooted in displeasure and Koba approached the girl threateningly. She backed up, but Caesar stopped Koba from coming closer. Maurice and Rocket looked at each other uneasily at the sudden tension.

"… Yes," she answered Koba's aggressive question nonetheless. "W-we're bringing a lot of people here, we need them to work on the Spires."

Again the other apes barked in protest, hating the idea of more humans and Faunus invading their land. However, Caesar kept his impartial gaze on her, showing no sign of approval or not towards her.

"I'm not a threat to you," she said, though unsure of herself. "But… if you think I am… then I guess you can kill me. Right here."

To prove that claim, she held out her arms openly, leaving herself unguarded. She closed her eyes in nervous while sweat rolled down her cheek, waiting for whether a violent fate would befall her.

Caesar considered his options. This girl could have been lying for all he knew, and if he decided that she did than he would have her executed. If he did that and she wasn't lying, then he'd be letting an entire city of innocent peoples die. If he decided to believe her but the apes would be too riled up with Humans and Faunus, then he'd have to refuse her and make her leave, and a city would still perish. So what should he do?

_"Help them…"_

He suddenly remembered his dream this morning. He recalled what **he** said, which sounded so ambiguously and ominously at first, and realized what **he** meant. Caesar's dream had forewarned him of this coming, and he was told that he had to act. But if he did allow them to work on these Spires, would the apes still react hostilely?

Maurice tapped on his arm, getting his attention. Caesar looked to him and received an intense look from his friend. Maurice was silently telling him that he should do something, knowing that the apes had the power to do so. He saw that if Maurice would support him, then at least several more apes would follow him in this decision.

Rocket, being hotheaded, would likely be distant from the humans, but he would surely tolerate them. However, there'd still be much hesitance from him, because his son was shot by a human and still recovering from that. Koba… would obviously be the most opposed to it. His trauma from Humans and Faunus experimenting on him, harming him, ran deep through him. Hopefully, Koba would put his allegiance to Caesar before his personal feelings.

With that in mind, Caesar made his decision. He turned his gaze back to the red caped girl, who still had her eyes closed, her anxiety clearly showing.

"They… can… come," he announced.

The apes hooted in surprise. Rocket looked at Caesar in surprise, while Maurice seemed to be approving of Caesar's answer. Koba was the most shocked, not even uttering a small noise as he stared at his leader wide eyed. The human girl opened her eyes, and looked at Caesar in disbelief.

"T-they can?!" she questioned, to which Caesar nodded. She was obviously relieved. "Oh God, thank you so much–!"

"But!" Caesar interrupted her. "One thing… you do." He would let them come, but there was going to be a rule. One single regulation that they had to comply with, otherwise he would let none of her people stay.

"W-what?" she asked, unsure of what he'd demand.

"Guns… give to Apes," he declared, holding out his right hand to her. He was gesturing that he wanted her to give him her weapon, to signify her agreement.

His party agreed to that condition. If they were going to be here with the apes, then they should be stripped of anything that'd pose a threat to the colony. However, the girl looked at Caesar in surprise but in apprehensiveness. He had seen firsthand how she was fond of her weapon, so this didn't seem like an easy thing for her to agree with.

"Oh… but, we need our weapons to fight the Grimm–!"

The apes barked angrily, thinking she was referring to them.

"N-Not you guys! I mean the other Grimm! The mean ones!" she said hastily, trying to clarify what she meant. She didn't know what the Grimm Apes thought of other Grimm, but there didn't seem to be evidence of cooperation between either side to her.

"What if a horde attacks?" she inquired, not giving up her weapon.

"Apes handle them," Caesar answered, lowering his hand.

"What about the miners? They'll need to defend themselves," she reasoned.

"Apes protect them," he countered.

"A-are you gonna break them, if we give our weapons to you? You can't! They're really important to me – I mean, to us–!"

She wasn't getting it. She wasn't in the position to compromise, so Caesar reminded her. He stepped up to be much closer to her and emitted a loud huff, almost sounding like a growl. He stared down at her with glaring eyes. She yelped in surprise as he did it so suddenly, while cowering in fear of his intimidating posture.

"Give… Apes… weapons. Or leave. Choose," she gulped at his ultimatum. However, she then took a moment, breathed in and out, then looked at him seriously.

"… O-okay…" she finally complied, "but on one condition."

Caesar shouldn't have really let her say that, but he allowed her to speak anyhow. And with that, an agreement was made.

* * *

It had already been over an hour. Everyone was waiting for Ruby to return, hopefully with good news for them, but she hasn't come back yet. Her teammates were the most worried for her, especially Yang, while team JNPR prayed for her safety. Cardin, on the other hand, was primarily bored with waiting.

So with nothing much to do now, he decided to ask his peers a certain question. Something that's been on his mind since they got here.

"So… how did it happen?" he asked somewhat ambiguously, getting everyone's attention.

"How did what happen?" asked Jaune.

"How you guys first saw those Grimm?" he said. The students tensed up at his inquiry, though he wasn't considerate enough to notice. Blake was especially stressed, making Yang concerned.

"It's… complicated," said Weiss, wanting to discuss anything other than this.

"I'm pretty sure we have time," retorted Cardin, seeing no sign of Ruby coming back yet.

"Well, it's not an easy thing to talk about," Pyrrha reasoned.

"Oh, come on," he said exasperatedly. "Are you guys really that afraid of these things? They're just monkeys, so stop being pussies and tell me how it went down."

Again, Cardin was really thinking of himself, focused on satisfying his curiosity. So he didn't notice how everyone was irritated at him for pushing the subject.

"We said it's not easy to talk about," she said sternly, making it harder for Cardin to continue the conversation.

"Why–?!" he attempted to inquire.

"Because we said so!" retorted Yang hotly. "Now shut up, we're not talking about it!"

"… This is boring," Cardin had the last word, finishing the apparently controversial subject. Though he was dissatisfied, everyone else was thankful they didn't have to tell him anything.

Suddenly, there came a dull echo through the forest, and soon rose into a series of a louder sound. They heard the all too familiar pant-hoots. The students looked up the hill, and they saw the Grimm Apes approaching. Several of them came trampling down, others rode on horses, while just as many swung through the tall trees. Everyone was surprised to see them come in such a large number, and afraid of what this meant.

"Oh crap!" Cardin, acting on instinct from seeing Grimm, assumed the worst and readied his large mace. The others would have prepared for battle too, if they didn't see a particular girl among this army.

"Cardin, wait!" Jaune exclaimed, but Cardin didn't listen.

"I said wait!" That time the grabbed onto the bully's arm, stopping him from charging.

"Ruby's with them!" shouted Yang. Ruby stood atop the hill, while the apes' leader was next to her, sitting on top a great black steed.

The apes stopped moving, a few feet between them and the students. Ruby walked down the hill, finally rejoining her friends. Yang quickly took her into a tight hug, happy that she came back alive, but Ruby hastily pulled back. Her mood was serious, she had to tell them something.

"… We're going to disassemble our weapons, and give the parts to them," she announced to her peers' shock. "That's the one rule."

"What?" Weiss questioned.

"What does that mean?" asked Pyrrha.

"… It means we can stay," she said, to everyone's stupor.

"For real?" said a surprised Nora.

"What are they going to do with our weapons?" Blake inquired.

"Nothing," Ruby claimed. "They're going to hold onto them for us during the mining, that's all. If we gave them our weapons whole, they'd break them apart themselves."

"Yeah? Well what if we don't _want_ to give them our stuff?" asked Cardin, not wanting the apes to touch an inch of his mace. Everyone looked at him uneasily, while a few of the apes glared at him.

"… Then they take all of our weapons by force… and break them apart, regardless," she told him, making him realize there were no options.

"… Tch. Fine," he submitted reluctantly.

With that, the students took their time to deconstruct their weapons. They brought along tool kits for maintenance, so they had the necessities to take them apart. They were certainly reluctant to do it, but they had to. If hunters were going to live in a peaceful village, then there'd have to be a cost for them to stay. Otherwise, any resistance would lead to their negotiations failing.

Once everyone was done taking apart their precious weapons, and handed their parts to the apes. They at least hoped that they wouldn't mix up each individual piece, and that they'd be able to rebuild them once everything was over. As that was taken care of, the apes and their leader led them further down this pathway.

Eventually, they were taken to a small space in the forest, with some trees surrounding it but none in the middle of the . It was an open area that all nine of them could fit in and set up their equipment for camping.

"Is this where we sleep?" Ruby asked their leader, wanting to make sure that was the intention of bringing them here. He nodded to confirm that, since they wouldn't have them stay in their own huts of course. That would be to inappropriate for them to do so, as they were strangers to the apes.

"Ok, thank you," she said. Before the apes would leave them, Ruby forgot that she hadn't really introduced herself. "Oh! Um… I didn't tell you my name yet. I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose."

"… Caesar," he told her. The apes' leader, now known as Caesar to the hunters-in-training, led his army back to their home. As they did, the students prepped up where they would sleep. So far, Ruby thought the negotiations would go well.

* * *

It was close to night, the sky now a much darker grey. The Grimm Apes took the hunters' disassembled weapons to one of the huts to store them. The ape who occupied that shelter, a Grimm Orangutan under Maurice's tutelage, volunteered to watch over the tools until the hunters left.**

Right now a fire was lit in the center of the village, keeping the apes warm. Some of them were looked over the parts, curious of how they were originally combined to make such deadly weapons, but they were soon put away. Caesar sat atop a stony stair with his son Blue Eyes next to him, while Maurice sat below them. Rocket was observing some of the disassembled pieces himself, and Koba sat on the other side of the fire across from Caesar.

Caesar was pleased with what happened today. Though the humans have returned and unsettled the apes, they did so with an important reason. He couldn't in good conscience allow such a large community of humans and Faunus to perish, even if their kind caused pain for the apes. If it truly was the last wish of someone close to him, then Caesar would do it.

Maurice was completely happy to help the young hunters. He was a benevolent ape since birth, believing in peace and coexistence from the start. But that didn't mean he was naïve. With the things that were done to him, he was very cautious of whether the hunters would have any alternative intentions. He was glad Caesar decided to help the humans, but if he decided they had to be driven out, Maurice wouldn't question his judgement.

Rocket had some hesitance to help humans and Faunus. He was very much angered by Ash's shooting, and he'd be much more furious if his son had been killed that day. If it wasn't for his loyalty, he would have flown off the handle and kill every hunter he'd see. It was because of that loyalty to Caesar that he didn't, so he would assist the humans in their work if he was ordered to.

Blue Eyes was the most conflicted. He too was troubled by his friend Ash's harming, and he was disgusted by that red girl's affection for her weapon. But his father decided to help them regardless, and he couldn't wrap his head around it. Blue Eyes didn't want to oppose his father on the matter, so he kept quiet for now.

Not many of the apes who were in protest towards helping the humans. As long as they were regulated and watched over, such as taking their weapons just now, then they'd be fine with them here. However, it was also the orders of their king that they tolerated the humans coming. To them, his wisdom was beyond description, so the apes followed him graciously.

There was one ape, though, who was most displeased with all of this: Koba. He couldn't believe that Caesar just allowed that human girl to enter their land, and then permit several humans and Faunus to come march here. It was preposterous! Had Caesar forgotten what those filthy peoples done to the apes? What they did to Koba?

He couldn't stay silent about this. Koba stood up from where he sat and walked over to where Caesar was, addressing the matter to him.

 _If Humans and Faunus get power, they'll be more dangerous!_ He signed crossly to his leader. _Why help them?!_

Despite Koba showing his rage towards him, Caesar gazed at the scarred ape calmly.

 _They seem desperate…_ he reasoned. _If we make them go, they'll attack._

 _Let them._ Koba arrogantly declared. _We'll destroy them while they're weak._

 _And how many apes will die?_ Caesar retorted, catching Koba off guard. _They have guns, while we have spears. We have powers like them, but they know their powers better._

The king of the apes was right, to Koba's shame. Despite his hatred, he wasn't willing to sacrifice the pride or the lives of the Grimm Apes. The apes did have incredible powers, including Caesar's and Koba's, but it was detrimentally true that the Humans and Faunus had many more years of experience with their powers. The difference in weaponry, too, did not need any mentioning.

 _We have one chance for peace,_ Caesar told him. _Let them do their Human work. Then they'll go._

"… Human… work?" spoke Koba. Is that what he called it? Did he see his leader, his king, say that correctly? This wasn't 'human work,' something that both humans and Faunus could do. He knew what was real 'human work' and he was going to show it.

"Human work…" he repeated, showing Caesar a thick scar on his neck, just behind his ear.

"Human work…" he said a third time, showing a long scar on the inside of his right forearm.

"Human work!" he shouted in anger, tracing his thumb over his infamous facial scar and dead eye.

Caesar heard enough and responded to Koba's outburst. He slowly standing up from his seat, his body overshadowing his scarred subordinate. Koba was dead silent at his king's intimidating posture, while the other apes watched just as anxiously quiet. Rocket and Maurice too stared at this scene, worried of what will happen.

Koba buckled under the pressure. He squatted down, lowered his head, and held out his palm to Caesar. Among apes a was a gesture that asked for forgiveness; they would show their open palm, and the other party would hopefully brush it with their own hand, signifying that the offender was forgiven.

Caesar looked around at the apes staring at him and Koba. He hoped this would not happen again, so he quickly brushed Koba's palm and forgave him. Koba looked at him thankfully and walked away, while Caesar was still displeased by this incident.

Blue Eyes was astonished to have seen this take place, but he didn't feel that Koba was wrong. He knew that the hunters shouldn't be trusted, but Caesar seemed to do that anyhow. Blue Eyes stepped closer to his father and got his attention.

 _Koba say… Apes should hate Humans and Faunus…_ he signed, hoping Koba's advice meant something to his father.

 _Enough!_ Caesar stopped Blue Eyes from discussing it further. His son didn't understand what Koba had experienced, so he wouldn't know why hate was not acceptable.

 _From both Human and Faunus, Koba learned hate… But nothing else._ He told Blue Eyes, and hoped he'd comprehend his meaning.

At this point, Caesar thought the negotiations would go badly.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note, 8/12/18:
> 
> *Refer to chapter two if you've forgotten these OC's in the story.
> 
> **This is sort of a minor reference to an orangutan character in Battle for the Planet of the Apes (fifth movie in original POTA series), who was the keeper of the Apes' armory. Mandemus, I think he's called.
> 
> Woo, this was fun! I was so glad to write about the apes in the story again! I apologize that I didn't publish last Friday, a few things prevented me from keeping that temporary update schedule, but I still got this chap' out. Kinda had fun switching perspectives between apes and humans in each scene, I thought that was an interesting choice in style.
> 
> Writing out Ruby and Caesar's first direct conversation was something I really looked forward to doing. What I enjoy most about crossovers are interactions between characters of different franchises, so I was happy to do that. Even though this was more so based on Caesar's interaction with Malcolm in the movie, I think I did a good job making it its own individual scene. I kinda had to make a loophole in Caesar's condition for Ruby and her friends to work on the Spires though.
> 
> Originally, I was gonna have the apes outright destroy their weapons, but I didn't really have the room to write everyone stubbornly opposed to that, nor the heart to make Ruby say goodbye to Crescent Rose forever. Instead, I just had the students reluctantly disassemble their weapons and have the apes hold on to them; it ain't ideal for them, but it's acceptable since they'll rebuild them at some point.
> 
> Other than that, I reintroduced those two pilot OCs, Robin and Thomas as I've dubbed them, from chapter two in this chapter. I pretty much decided to make them the comic relief for the story, so I hope everyone finds them not too intrusive. Also, the reason Cardin's been put into the story is revealed, hope that works out for everybody. I'm not particularly fond of him, but I want to depict him in the story as impartially as possible. However, still expect him to fuck something up.
> 
> By the way, last time I said there was technically no romance in this story. I sort of forgot about Caesar and Cornelia, they're technically a ship too, especially since they're married. Basically they're the number 1 official pairing in this story, not Arkos. Sorry.
> 
> Another thing is that I introduced a Planet of the Apes character, and he isn't an ape. If you could tell who I was depicting in Caesar's dream, than maybe you know who that is. I won't spoil it but either way, I wanted to give him a little more presence than he had in Dawn.
> 
> Anyway, that's all I got. Chapter 9 will be published later in the month, then a new story will be published. After that, I'm taking a break from fanfiction as I will have to go back to school. Maybe I'll manage an update once a month till December, I dunno yet.
> 
> Also, poll #4 is up on my profile now. The theme is Akame ga Kill stories! Please vote for what you'd like me to write! Laters!


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